Building Briefs – November 9th

Aberdeen bar brought to market with hotel planning consent

Property consultancy CBRE has been instructed to sell The Albyn bar and restaurant in Aberdeen.

Converted into a high quality bar and restaurant over a decade ago, the property comprises a substantial granite building arranged over lower ground, ground, first and second floors with a modern two-storey extension to the rear.

The main bar and restaurant area is located at ground floor level and is accessed from an impressive granite feature entrance, direct from an external seating area with capacity for over 80 people on Albyn Place.

The lower ground floor is also fitted out to a high standard and is run as a late night entertainment venue that caters for private functions and event launches featuring a dance floor and DJ booth. The first and second floors comprise a self-contained office, totaling 2,012 sq ft.

Earlier this year architects, Halliday Fraser Munro secured planning permission to convert the property into a 41-bedroom hotel. The consent allows for the existing rear extension to be re-developed to create bedrooms on two upper floors of a four-storey extension building.

£4m self-build loan fund released following successful pilot

A new £4 million self-build loan fund offering financial backing to people who want to build their own homes will be available from next year, housing minister Kevin Stewart has confirmed.

Launched following a successful pilot in the Highlands, the self-build loan fund will be open to applicants nationwide from Autumn 2018 and will support people over the next three years.

In addition a challenge fund is now open to support projects that will help planning departments develop ways to better respond to the needs of people undertaking a custom or self-build home.

Scots housing market bucks UK trend, but concerns remain on ‘adverse’ LBTT effect

House prices are set to rise in Scotland, with sales expectations remaining positive despite ongoing concerns about a lack of stock, the October 2017 RICS UK Residential Market Survey has found.

However, concerns remain over the impact of LBTT on the higher end of the market, with surveyors reporting that the tax is “prohibitively high” and “having an adverse effect”.

The Scottish market bucked the UK trend in October, as the national housing market continued to stutter in October, with both demand from buyers and agreed sales declining once more, while price trends are now flat.

Across the UK, interest from buyers continued to decline in October, with 20% more respondents seeing a fall in new buyer enquiries over the month. Agreed sales were also reported to have fallen again with 20% more respondents noting a decline in transactions over the month at the national level. Scotland, Wales and the North East were the only areas to see any pick-up for agreed sales, while sales trends were either flat or negative across the rest of the UK.

Aldi submit fresh plan for Crieff supermarket

Supermarket chain Aldi is progressing with its proposed store for Crieff, with a fresh plan relating to its design and layout lodged with the council.

In what has been a long-running planning saga, Aldi’s proposal for the store, which will be built in the town’s Broich Road, was originally refused by Perth and Kinross Council in December 2015, on the basis the site was earmarked for employment use and not for a food store.

However, Aldi appealed this decision to the local authority’s local review body and members of that group approved the application ‘in principle’ in November last year.

In June, Aldi asked council planning chiefs to re-examine conditions to allow the store to receive deliveries of goods throughout Sundays. This was agreed in September and now Aldi have confirmed they have lodged a fresh plan concerning the store’s design and layout, along with new detailed graphics of the site.

A spokesperson for Aldi said: “We are currently working with the council to address the remaining planning conditions and would like to take the opportunity to thank the community for their support and patience throughout the planning process.

“Aldi are hoping to open the store in 2019.”

Ally McCoist wins planning battle to build new £1m mansion

Ex-footballer Ally McCoist has won a battle to demolish a rundown house on his street and build a £1 million mansion in its place.

The Rangers legend lodged plans to swap his current home for a new bespoke property on the nearby site had attracted a number of objections.

However, Renfrewshire councillors have now voted to approve the plan.

McCoist, 55, and neighbour Jeffrey East teamed up to buy the derelict building, Hermiston, in Bridge of Weir, and its 2.5 acres of grounds. They plan to replace it with two homes which they intend to move into after selling their current homes on the street.

A report by planning officials submitted to councillors this week said restoration of Hermiston would not be “economically viable”, and that the new homes were “reflective of surrounding dwellings which enables a harmonious relationship to be created”.

Plans for McCoist’s proposed new home show it will be a two-storey property with a games and cinema room, a double garage and a balcony.

Consultation launched into fuel poverty reduction

The Scottish Government has launched a public consultation to seek views on a new long-term strategy to tackle fuel poverty.

Running until February next year, the consultation document will seek opinions on, among other things, ambitious targets for fuel poverty reduction - with a revised definition recommended by an independent, expert review - and the timescales for meeting them.

An independent panel of four academic experts was established earlier this year to consider changes to how fuel poverty is defined, and recently published a paper presenting their findings. This followed the Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group’s conclusion that the current definition may be impeding efforts to target those most in need.

Responses to the consultation will inform the new strategy and the development of a Warm Homes Bill, due to be introduced in 2018, which will enshrine the proposed new fuel poverty target in legislation.

Central belt communities offered up to £400,000 to boost green ambitions

Communities across the central belt can bring environmental and health benefits to their areas by bidding for a share of a fund worth up to £400,000.

The 2018-19 round of the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN) funding will offer investment to projects promoting active travel, woodland planting, community growing and restoring land. Since 2010 £6.3 million has been invested in more than 180 projects.

Cabinet secretary for the environment, climate change and land reform, Roseanna Cunningham, opened the latest round of funding on a visit to the New Caledonian Woodlands Ltd, which received investment in the 2017-18 round.

Further information and eligibility criteria.

Local pupils get an inside look at new Bertha Park village

Pupils from Perth primary schools have enjoyed an exclusive preview of the ongoing construction works at the new Bertha Park village.

Sixteen curious youngsters from eight local schools visited Robertson Tayside’s Bertha Park High School site, part of the wider £1 billion Bertha Park village currently under development.

The pupils will enjoy a series of six visits as part of the national Robertson Reporters programme, and will be introduced to a new area of construction work each time, providing ongoing feedback to their classmates.

The introductory session began with a short presentation before heading out on site to check on progress of the purpose-built facility with site manager Stuart Giles.

Participating schools included: Auchtergaven Primary; Methven Primary; Dunbarney Primary; Forgandenny Primary; Logiealmond Primary; Ruthvenfield Primary; Inch View Primary and Pitcairn Primary.

The new Bertha Park High School is on track to open for the 2019 school year.

More than £15m to be invested in Scotland’s railways

More than £15 million is to be invested in Scotland’s railways over the upcoming festive period, Network Rail has revealed.

Around 4,500 engineers will work to complete infrastructure upgrades across the country during Christmas and New Year.

Schemes include renewing and replacing signalling/overhead power lines at locations around Glasgow, new tracks will be laid on sections of the west coast main line, and on the main line between Edinburgh and Glasgow, and a junction in Lanarkshire will also be renewed.

Work on the electrification of the network will also continue with new overhead powerlines and supporting equipment being installed on sections of the Stirling-Alloa-Dunblane route and further progress being made on the upgrade of tracks and platforms at Edinburgh Waverley.

Elsewhere, workers will work to refurbish and maintain bridges, level crossing and tracks.