Building Briefs – November 6th
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Lovell safety performance recognised by RoSPA President’s Award
Housing developer and regeneration specialist Lovell has secured a top award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) for its consistently high levels of safety performance in Scotland over the past decade.
The RoSPA President’s Award recognises Lovell’s achievement of consecutive RoSPA Gold Awards over the past 10 years for the excellent standard of its health and safety management systems at the company’s Scottish construction sites and offices.
Architecture and Design Scotland exhibition to showcase Melbourne’s transformation
An exhibition opening today at The Lighthouse, Glasgow, explores how Melbourne, Australia, developed its city centre from an “empty, useless space” to being named the “world’s most liveable city” by the Economist Magazine four years running.
The Postcode 3000 exhibition, hosted by Architecture and Design Scotland, shows the journey taken to animate the city centre and make it a lively and desirable place to live, work and socialise.
The exhibition will be officially launched by Professor Rob Adams, head of City Design, Melbourne, who will give a sold-out talk about Melbourne’s transformation and how the work on re-making the city focused on streets and their life.
He will be joined by Professor Alan Pert, Nord Architecture and the University of Melbourne. Professor Pert’s specific interest is in getting to the basics of the brief for change, understanding the needs of people, then using this to drive the right technology and the right strategy for the best architectural response.
Postcode 3000: A City Transformed? is open to the public daily until 28 January 2015.
Kirkintilloch community hall opens its doors
A £2.7m community centre in the Hillhead area of Kirkintilloch has been officially opened following a handover to East Dunbartonshire Council.
Designed by macmon architects on behalf of hub West Scotland the scheme replaces an existing centre with a more flexible space; including new meeting rooms, cafe and a central hall for use by local groups and organisations.
The hall also includes its own biomass boiler to meet its energy and heating needs.
The building was constructed by Fleming Buildings, structural engineers Morgan Sindall, services engineers Tüd Süd Wallace Whittle and quantity surveyors Allan and Hanel.
Construction of £1.2bn windfarm is under way
The first piece of infrastructure has been installed on the site of a £1.2 billion windfarm off the Angus coast.
The Scottish Government last month awarded consent for the construction and operation of the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm, situated in the outer Firth of Tay.
The windfarm has the potential to generate up to 784MW of renewable energy and bring significant economic opportunities through construction and operation.
A meteorological mast (met mast), which arrived from Spain, has been the first piece of infrastructure to be installed on site.
The mast has a gravity base foundation, mainly made out of concrete.
This innovative foundation type reduces the noise generated by the installation of the steel structures traditionally used and the associated negative impact on the marine fauna, especially on large mammals.
Greens urge ministers to make energy efficient homes a priority
Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow and housing spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, has urged ministers to make energy efficient homes a national infrastructure priority.
Mr Harvie was responding to the climate change minister’s statement on the third annual missed target on greenhouse gas emissions.
It comes as the IPCC warns that climate change is set to cause severe impacts unless emissions are cut sharply, and as WWF and Energy Action Scotland say the Scottish Government’s proposed budget for 2015-16 does little to reduce housing emissions and fuel poverty.
Patrick Harvie MSP said: “If the Scottish Government is serious about making up lost ground after three years of missed targets it should commit to a big shift in funding.
“A third of Scotland’s homes are in fuel poverty, so by investing in insulation we could cut bills for households right now as well as reduce the emissions threatening quality of life for generations to come. We’d also create thousands of high quality construction jobs.”
Revised Livingston health centre scheme put in for planning
Revised plans for a replacement Murieston Medical practice in Livingston have been submitted for approval to West Lothian Council by Aitken Turnbull Architects.
Located at Hamilton Square the scheme will see a new medical centre and pharmacy built on behalf of its GP to replace temporary existing facilities, part of an £84 million programme to meet the needs of an ageing and growing population across the Lothian region.
Campaigners warn of legal action over Skye hospital plan
Campaigners have said they could seek a judicial review of the consultation process into the site for a new hospital for Skye and Lochalsh.
A campaign was set up by islanders in the north of the isle after Broadford was chosen as the preferred site and not the island’s capital, Portree.
NHS Highland has defended the options appraisal carried out by a steering group.
The Scottish Health Council has also said the process was legitimate.
Broadford, Skye’s second largest settlement, was chosen as the preferred location for island’s new main hospital in March. Under the proposals, Portree Hospital would be upgraded.
NHS Highland said it would act as a smaller “spoke” hospital to the hub facility, to be built in Broadford.
Quick fix repairs for North Lanarkshire council tenants
People living in council homes in North Lanarkshire are receiving a repairs service better than many other areas of Scotland.
The Local Homes Team, a partnership between North Lanarkshire Council and maintenance specialists Mears, is responsible for the repair and upgrade of 37,000 properties in North Lanarkshire and make more than 150,000 repairs each year.
The repairs performance so far this year show:
Scottish island chosen to host sculpture by award-winning artist
A Scottish island has been chosen as the location for one of five sculptures by award-winning artist Antony Gormley.
Saddell Bay in Mull of Kintyre will host the life-size sculpture as part of a collaboration between Mr Gormley and the Landmark Trust as the centrepiece of the group’s 50th anniversary celebrations next year.
The five life-size bodies will be installed in May 2015 and will be in place for a year.
Founded in 1965, the Landmark Trust restores buildings which have fallen in to disrepair, and has re-purposed nearly 200 buildings since it began.
The trust then lets the properties out for holidays, and an estimated 50,000 people stay in their buildings each year.
The four other sculptures will be located in Suffolk, Dorset, Warwickshire, and the Bristol Channel.
Bollards to block cars from Edinburgh city cycle lanes
Controversial rising bollards are to make a return to the Scottish capital next week. Edinburgh City Council said retractable bollards are to be fitted in George Street to stop cars entering cycle paths set up under a one-year part-pedestrianisation trial on the thoroughfare.
The bollards have been backed by local traders.
New park and ride site for Wishaw
North Lanarkshire Council has teamed up with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport to create a new park and ride in Wishaw.
Transport bosses spent £220,000 on the construction costs to provide 40 parking bays with the local council taking on the cost of maintaining and monitoring the site, which is fitted with lighting and CCTV cameras.
Developer unveils new plans for luxury flats at Donaldson’s school
Donaldson’s School in Edinburgh is set to be redeveloped as luxury flats and apartments after a deal was struck between owners and a restoration firm.
Flats in the A-listed 1850 William Playfair-designed building, which has lain empty for six years could become “the most desirable residential addresses in Scotland, if not the UK”, according to property experts.
Developers have set out a tight schedule for consultation to take place and new planning permission to be secured, with a target of June for planning consent to be secured ahead of an “immediate” start to work.
High-speed rail link shelved
Scottish ministers have condemned plans to develop the high-speed rail network in England before a study to extend it to Scotland had been completed.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said HS3 had attracted strong political support south of the Border “despite little evidential basis”.
A draft report into cutting journey times between Edinburgh, Glasgow and London to three hours was promised in July, with the final document to be completed by next month.
Sweett issues profit warning
Cost consultant Sweett has warned that profits will be below expectations because of problems in the Middle East and Australia.
In a trading statement covering the first half, the board said the UK which accounts for half the business was performing well.
But Sweett warned that it was reducing its exposure in the Middle East and expected to take a hit in Australia unless trading recovered in the second half.
UCATT to support Findlay and Clark for Scottish Labour leadership
Construction union UCATT have thrown their support behind Neil Findlay MSP for Leader of the Scottish Labour Party and Katy Clark MP for Deputy Leader.
UCATT are supporting Neil Findlay MSP, a former bricklayer, due to his commitment: to work in partnership with unions, create clear “red water” between Labour and the SNP, to create full employment, to introduce a living wage throughout Scotland and to create a massive council house building programme. UCATT also recognise Mr Findlay’s efforts to fight for justice for blacklisted construction workers.
UCATT are supporting Katy Clark for deputy due to her pledges to eradicate poverty, commitment to stop the privatisation of public services, bring the railways back into public ownership and end care visits limited to 15 minutes.
Tom Weir statue plan for Loch Lomond banks on track
Plans are on track to unveil a statue of popular countryside broadcaster Tom Weir on the banks of Loch Lomond on the 100th anniversary of his birth.
A public appeal has raised £60,000 for a life-size likeness of the presenter of the “Weir’s Way” television programmes from the 1970s and 80s.
Planning permission has been granted by the National Park Authority for the statue to overlook Balmaha Bay.
Broadcaster, writer and climber Mr Weir died in 2006 aged 91.
The project has been driven forward by the Tom Weir Memorial Group and the Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.
The statue should be unveiled on the 100th anniversary of his birth, on 29 December.
Barratt Homes shows face for Movember
Housebuilder Barratt Homes has launched fundraising campaigns at Ballerup Village in East Kilbride and Cathkin Rise in Cambuslang in support of the Movember Foundation.
For the month of November, construction, sales and office staff from across the West Scotland division will grow their own moustaches, using them as a talking point to raise funds for the Movember Foundation.
And, during the final weekend of November (29th - 30th), the housebuilder will donate £100 for every reservation made at Ballerup Village and Cathkin Rise.
The Movember Foundation, which has to date raised £346 million, is committed to saving and improving the lives of men affected by prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems.
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