Building Briefs – October 24th

Property maintenance and refurbishment specialist Novus Property Solutions has announced that Glasgow-based Red Star Athletics Club is the winner of its Grand Giveaway.

Contractor Novus called on Glasgow’s sports clubs to apply for the £1,000 prize after staff at the firm’s Roystonhill office were so inspired by the Commonwealth Games.

Novus wanted to mark the event by supporting a local sports club and the team was inundated with applications when the giveaway opened.

After careful consideration, Red Star Athletics Club, which has been supporting athletes of all abilities and disabilities for 25 years, was named as the winner.

The club, which trains at Crownpoint Sports Complex, has about 60 members of all ages who participate in a range of athletics and sports including wheelchair racing, race running and club throw.

Tulloch Developments to create new jetty

Tulloch Developments has confirmed it is to build a new jetty in the Shetland Islands area.

The £16.5 million contract will see the firm create the structure for Lerwick Port Authority. The 800m jetty, located at Holmsgarth North, will allow for deeper berthing and a larger working area for the local fishing fleet, it has been said.

Arch Henderson LLP will design and project manage the scheme.

Work is expected to begin on site before Christmas, with a scheduled completion date of autumn 2016. Around 50 jobs will be created during the construction phase.

West Dunbartonshire Council awards major housing refurbishment contract

Hanson Structherm has won a major contract to supply is structural external wall insulation (SEWI) system to a large housing refurbishment scheme for West Dunbartonshire Council.

The company is providing 10,800m2 of SEWI to renovate three 16-storey high rise blocks – Clyde Court, Park Court and West Court in Littleholm Place, Dalmuir. The SEWI system will be used on the first floors and above while Structherm’s Wonderwall real brick slip insulated cladding system will be applied to the ground floors.

Hanson Structherm said its SEWI system was specified for the refurbishment as it provides structural stability while greatly improving the thermal performance of the flats, reducing both CO2 emissions and on-going energy costs.

The work is scheduled to start later this month and is expected to last 12 months.

Homes site may block abandoned tram spur revival

An investigation has been launched over fears that a housing development could block the construction of an abandoned portion of the Edinburgh tram network.

Planning officials said they are looking into whether developers building a three-storey block of flats, which was granted planning permission in April, have broken rules protecting a corridor of land originally intended for trams.

Construction has already begun on the eight-flat mixed residential and retail development at the corner of Wester Coates and Balbirnie Place, in the west of the city.

Sainsbury’s to open up in revamped Princes Street Mall

Sainsbury’s is set to open a branch in the Princes Mall as the complex prepares for a £3 million revamp.

The supermarket giant will open a convenience store in the shopping centre in December.

The announcement comes months after it emerged the Post Office will be moving to the Princes Street venue from nearby St James Centre.

£1m hall hopes for Muir of Ord

The dreams of a new community hub for a village are set to be realised following the announcement of a £1m plus lottery grant.

The Muir of Ord Hall & Facilities Company will use its award of £1,156,957 award to refurbish and extend the existing Old Tarradale School in Ross-shire.

This will provide a new community-owned facility offering social and learning opportunities for 3,300 residents, as well as visitors.

Aberdeen travellers’ site plan set to be dropped

Plans for a new permanent halting site for travellers in Aberdeen are set to be dropped.

Aberdeen City Council had identified Howes Road, between Northfield and Bucksburn, as the preferred location.

The site is included as a travellers camp in the local development plan which will be discussed next week.

The ruling Labour-run administration amendment will go to the communities, housing and infrastructure committee. It calls for the Howes Road proposals to be dropped.

Village halls to benefit from solar power

A number of village halls in the Highlands area are to benefit from free solar power, it has been announced.

The initiative is being made possible through a £100,000 grant from SSE’s Sustainable Development Fund.

Launched in 2013, the project is managed by the charity Community Energy Scotland and fully funded through SSE’s onshore wind community benefit programme. The solar scheme allows community-owned organisations in the Highlands the opportunity of a free 4kWp solar panel system for their building.

Each solar system is expected to generate around 3,200KWh of electricity a year, leading to an annual energy cost reduction of between £800 and £1,000 per building for 20 years.

Korrie Renewables, a Highland-based company, will be responsible for carrying out the work.

A total of 11 community buildings in the Highlands will eventually be part of the scheme, but the first halls to be included will be located in Ardgay and Bonar Bridge.

Glaisnock House to be transformed

A former stately home in East Ayrshire is to be transformed by its new owners, it has been announced.

Glaisnock House, which is located on the outskirts of Cumnock, now belongs to Chinese buyers, and East Ayrshire Council has said they plan to turn the property into a Chinese language and cultural centre.

It will also include a business hub for Chinese students, as well as entrepreneurs from the Far East regions aiming to establish new business links in foreign markets.

Denburn development dropped

Council officials have reversed plans to earmark a key area of land on the edge of Aberdeen city-centre for a major retail expansion.

Local residents and businesses were consulted earlier this year on proposals for the Denburn and Woolmanhill.

More than four-and-a-half acres were set aside for retail use in an early version of the city’s local development plan.

But in a new document being presented to councillors next week, the area is designated as suitable for a range of options including a hotel, healthcare, residential, office and business use.

The land houses the Denburn car park, health centre and the A- listed buildings at Woolmanhill Hospital.

Rosemount and Mile End community council raised concerns during the initial consultation that the existing infrastructure in the area would not be sufficient to cope with a retail development on a par with the Union Square shopping centre.

Inverness Royal Academy to reopen on Monday after emergency repair

An Inverness secondary school will reopen on Monday after emergency repairs to a chimney.

Inverness Royal Academy was forced to close two days before the start of the October holidays because of problems with the boiler flue.

A routine inspection on October 9 revealed an issue with the structure which require more detailed examination and repair.

Highland Council said that the work was successfully carried out during the two-week holidays.

Scaffolding will be removed over the weekend and staff will return for their in-service day on Monday.

The school, which has a roll of 931, is due to be replaced by the council at an estimated cost of £35.4 million.

In August, the first turfs were cut at the new school, which is scheduled f or completion in June 2016 and will open to pupils in August of the same year.