Building Briefs – November 29th

More new council housing to be built in South Lanarkshire

South Lanarkshire Council’s plans to deliver 1,000 new homes by 2021 have taken another step forward with the approval of a further 36 homes at 2 sites in East Kilbride and Blantyre.

In East Kilbride 16 family homes will be built on the site of the former Heathery Knowe Primary School where construction of 2 and 3 bedroom semi-detached family homes and twelve two bedroom cottage flats is expected to start before the end of this financial year.

In Blantyre, the former site of St Blanes Primary School will see the construction of 20 homes consisting of 2, 3 & 4 bedroom family semi-detached homes, 1 & 2 bedroom cottage flats and 3 bedroom bungalows.

Kilmacs managing director wins Inspirational Business Leader of the Year award

Co-founder of civil engineering company Kilmac, Athole McDonald, has been honoured by the Perthshire business community.

At the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Business Star Awards sponsored by The Binn Group, he was presented with the inaugural ‘Inspirational Business Leader’ accolade, supported by Tayside law firm Thorntons.

The Chamber award – presented by Debbie Fellows of Thorntons - acknowledges a business leader who has:

Kilmac was founded in 2004 by Athole and fellow director Richard Kilcullen.

The judges noted that Kilmac had played a part in delivering several significant projects in Perth and Dundee, as both cities set about transforming themselves, with the Kilmac Foundation making a real difference in the community.

Peter Brett Associates wins IED award for Scottish Canals project

An innovative project run by Peter Brett Associates LLP (PBA) to develop, implement and manage a framework to establish the economic and social effects of investment in Scotland’s canal network and the areas it passes through has received the ‘Most Sustainable Outcome’ award from the Institute of Economic Development (IED).

Having been commissioned by what is now Scottish Canals to create the framework, the PBA team continues to monitor canal corridor economic and development activity on an annual basis. Reporting has been designed to show the social and economic impacts achieved and forecast through unlocking the economic development potential of Scotland’s canal corridors. PBA picked up their prize at the IED Annual Awards 2017, held during the IED Annual Conference in London on November 23.

£45m plan to attract businesses to Fife

Investment of £45 million in Fife’s industrial estates is planned in a bid to bring more businesses to the kingdom and create employment.

‘Factories of the future’ would be created by constructing new industrial and commercial stock in conjunction with the private sector.

The boost, which it is hoped will be part of the Edinburgh and South East of Scotland City Region Deal, would provide technology parks and industrial estates with cuttingedge digital capability and energy compliance.

It is estimated up to 3,500 jobs could be created over 20 years.

An estimated 130,000 square feet of new offices, industrial space and storage and distribution facilities will be created and about 100 acres of employment land will become marketable and available for development.

Strategic business clusters targeted will be Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Inverkeithing, Dalgety Bay, and Rosyth and Kirkcaldy, Levenmouth and Lochgelly.

Everwarm completes insulation deal for Fife Housing Group

Tenants of Fife Housing Group are set to benefit from cavity and loft insulation work following the completion of a contract by Everwarm Ltd.

Fife Housing Group worked in conjunction with Everwarm and SPA to make the direct award.

Having commenced in July 2017, with completion in October 2017, the contract saw Everwarm carry out Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) on all properties included within the contract to determine suitability and eligibility prior to works commencing. As a result, 55 cavity wall insulation installations were carried out, together with 51 loft insulation installations.

Decommissioning firm selects Port of Dundee as next marine base

Aberdeen-based decommissioning firm Well-Safe Solutions has selected the Port of Dundee to become its next onshore marine base.

The company has secured two-acres of quayside facilities at the Port, which provides access to 40,000 sq ft of covered space for the firm’s marine assets.

At the port, Well-Safe Solutions will work alongside decommissioning industry leaders such as AF Offshore Decom, as part of the soon to be formed AF Dundee, waste management specialist Augean North Sea Services (ANSS), and other decommissioning specialists.

Aberdeen to receive £2m broadband investment

Up to £2 million is to be invested to boost broadband speeds for key public buildings in Aberdeen.

The funding will connect 57 public buildings, including schools, health and community centres, to broadband with speeds of up to 1 Gigabit.

The initiative is being carried out through a £254m investment package for the region, which is in addition to the £125m Aberdeen City Region Deal.