Building Briefs – October 16th

Saint-Gobain brings a world of innovation to Edinburgh College

Saint-Gobain brands inspired students at Edinburgh College this month by organising an event focused on innovation.

Jewson, British Gypsum, Weber, Isover and Build Aviator were just some of the Saint-Gobain brands who attended the event and demonstrated their products. Also in attendance were some nationally recognised brands stocked by Jewson, including Bosch, Bristan, Wavin and Stelrad.

The college currently uses a number of products from the Saint-Gobain portfolio of businesses, making sure its student apprentices are working with the industry standard materials they require to become skilled workers in their chosen discipline – be that joinery, plumbing, bricklaying, roofing, or electrics.

TLT accelerates Scotland growth with acquisition of specialist Glasgow commercial real estate firm

UK law firm TLT has acquired Glasgow-based commercial real estate firm Leslie Wolfson & Co.

The Leslie Wolfson team’s specialist real estate expertise adds further weight to TLT’s existing capability in Scotland. It will also bolster the firm’s 200+ strong real estate offer, given Leslie Wolfson’s experience advising clients in Scotland and England & Wales. In particular, the move expands the firm’s services for corporate occupiers, developers, banks, investors and public bodies, as well as its work advising on the property issues facing retailers and leisure operators.

The deal adds three partners to TLT in Scotland, including:

This is the latest addition to TLT’s Scotland practice since disputes partner John Paul Sheridan took over the leadership of the firm in Scotland in February 2018. Other 2018 hires include clean energy real estate partner Nick Shenken from Pinsent Masons and banking & finance partner Douglas Gourlay from Weightmans.

The firm has also been building its real estate offer across the UK with six partner hires in the last few years including Judith Allen and Kevin Murphy in the firm’s Belfast office, Jason Juden and Matthew Cox in the firm’s London office, John Hyde in the firm’s Manchester office and Richard Turnbull in the firm’s Glasgow office.

South Ayrshire homes plans unveiled at well-attended consultation

A Hamilton developer has thanked the South Ayrshire community for their valuable input and contributions at a recent consultation event.

More than 70 people attended Banks Property’s event at Symington Community Hall earlier this month to discuss the developer’s initial plans to bring around 120 much needed homes to Symington.

Included in the proposals was the potential to include provision for part of a relief road built to ease traffic through the conservation village’s main street, with Banks Property especially keen to get feedback from local people to help it shape its final proposals.

The plans for the 5.6 hectare Stockbridge site - to the north of Symington Road South - would see a range of homes, including the provision of affordable homes.

In line with company’s development with care approach, Banks Property has committed to working closely with the local community throughout every step of the planning and development process.

The developer now hopes to submit a detailed planning application to South Ayrshire Council in the early months of 2019.

Clackmannanshire issues invitation for proposals for City Region Deal Funding

A call has gone out to local organisations encouraging them to put forward their proposals for part of the promised funding from the UK Government as part of the City Region Deal in Clackmannanshire.

The appeal was launched at the first formal meeting of the Clackmannanshire Commission.

The UK Government has committed up to £8 million for capital projects to boost innovation, internationalisation and economic transformation.

The Clackmannanshire Commission is a partnership of local public, private and third sector organisations acting as an advisory board, guiding investment, project development and prioritisation. Commissioners will be active participants in driving inclusive economic growth through the City Region Deal and other local and regional programmes.

The UK and Scottish Governments are investing over £90 million in Stirling and Clackmannanshire through an ambitious City Region Deal. This deal will unlock economic opportunities across the whole of the region, delivering new and up-skilled jobs across a range of sectors.

The guidance and application form can be found at the council’s City Deal web site.

Plans to demolish Aberdeen pub and build flats refused

Plans to demolish an Aberdeen pub and build nine flats in its place have been refused by the local authority.

The application was made by David Murray Associates for the Croft Tavern site on Stockethill Crescent in September.

Proposals would have seen the Croft Tavern pub, which was built in the 1970s, demolished, with new flats erected in the same place.

Merchants deliver summer landscaping surge

Builders’ merchants have reported an increase in August sales of 3.5% compared to August 2017 on a same day basis. Timber & Joinery and Landscaping led with 9.5% and 6.9% growth respectively.

Total merchant sales in the three months were up 5.9% on last year on a same day basis. With Timber & Joinery and Landscaping also seeing an increase in three-month on three-month (June – August) performance from last year, with Timber & Joinery up by 10.1% and Landscaping up 10%.

Total sales so far this calendar year January – August 2018 have grown on a same day basis by 3.9%

All the data is contained in the Builders Merchants Building Index which tracks builders’ merchants’ actual sales using GfK data supplied by the UK’s leading merchants.

Builders merchants supply materials to the construction industry and directly to consumers for interior and exterior building and home refurbishments projects.

Greenwell Equipment welcomes building success

An Aberdeen-based industrial services business has notched up strong growth with the completion of a number of large-scale projects over the past 12 months.

Greenwell Equipment has seen turnover for its modular building division double from a year earlier.

The company – launched in 1996 – supplies modular buildings, containers, warehouse racking and office furniture.

It said the latest figures secured Greenwell’s position as Scotland’s largest supplier and principle trading partner of worldwide cabin manufacturer CTX Containex.

The family-owned firm has supplied more than 500 modular buildings to several large infrastructure projects including the Queensferry Crossing joint venture and the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route consortium.

Funding for new electric vehicle chargepoints in East Lothian

East Lothian Council has been awarded £45,000 from the Department for Transport (DfT) to install electric vehicle chargepoints in residential areas of five East Lothian towns and villages.

The council applied to the DfTs Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) for funding for the chargepoints following approaches from members of the public wishing to invest in electric cars. The funding will be topped-up with money from Transport Scotland to install new vehicle chargers in Aberlady, Dunbar, Stenton, North Berwick and West Barns.

Once installed, each chargepoint will be able to be used more widely and improves access to the charging network within residential areas. Householders with private driveways or off-street parking are able install their own electric chargepoints and may apply for funding from Energy Saving Trust Scotland for this purpose.

Plans to demolish Dundee pub

A pub could be bulldozed and the land converted into flats under new plans submitted to Dundee City Council.

The Rock on Dickson Avenue has been identified for demolition, as part of a proposal to build four shopping units and nine above-ground flats on the site.

Sidey opens new Edinburgh showroom

Sidey has opened the doors to its Edinburgh Showroom in the out-of-town shopping area near Edinburgh’s Ikea.

It’s kitted out with 36 entrance doors as well as lots of different types of traditional and modern windows, all full sized and installed in home style settings.