Building Briefs – October 2nd

A bid to get Scottish Borders Council to drop plans for a £6 million permanent home for the Great Tapestry of Scotland at Tweedbank has failed.

The authority considered the 4,000-signature petition against the project but decided to take no further action.

The planning application for the scheme will now be considered next week.

The Scottish Government has pledged £2.5m towards the project but the council voted last year to allocate up to £3.5m.

Opponents raised concerns about the location if the facility and the amount being spent at a time when other services were being cut.

The local authority examined their concerns at a meeting but decided to proceed with the plans for the centre.

Castle Toward sale progresses

Castle Toward has taken another step towards becoming a major tourist attraction, and a significant local employer, with Argyll and Bute Council finalising commercial terms of its sale to husband and wife team Keith and Denice Punler, otherwise well known as local business woman Denice Purdie.

The partnership, which has a strong track record in business and in restoring historic buildings, plans to create an up market wedding hotel, with shop and café.

With a detailed master plan already at an advanced stage which would see the estate returned to its former glory, works could start within months.

Plans underway for first distillery on island of Raasay

Plans are afoot for the first ever legal distillery on the tiny Scots island of Raasay.

An application had been lodged with the local authority to develop a state-of-the-art distillery and visitor centre on the tiny Hebridean island off the east coast of Skye.

The plans, by the recently created R&B Distillers, would see the restoration of the island’s currently derelict hotel, Borodale House and is expected to generate employment for eleven of Raasay’s 120 residents.

Architect retires as Scottish Borders Housing Association chairperson

Scottish Borders Housing Association (SBHA) has elected Simon Mountford to succeed Ray Licence as chairman.

Borders architect Ray is retiring after completing his five year term of office.

Commenting on his time at SBHA, Ray said: “I’m delighted to have been part of SBHA for the last eight years. During my time as chairman I have seen SBHA complete a major investment programme to bring SBHA homes to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard, tackle the issue of difficult to let housing stock, and embark on its first programme of building homes.

“I’m particularly proud of the work at Rutherford Square in Kelso and Stonefield in Hawick. We have forged strong partnerships across both the public and private sectors during my time as Chair and I look forward to seeing greater progress in the coming years. I welcome the appointment of Simon as my successor and wish him well in his new role.”

Dundee MUGA development to start

Work to create a £185,000 multi use games area (MUGA) and other environmental improvements is set to get underway in a Dundee community next week.

The MUGA as well as an upgraded play park, extra car parking spaces, seating areas and landscaping improvements will be developed in Whorterbank.

Contractors Tayside Contracts are due to start work on site next week with the project completed by the end of the year.

New school in Conon Bridge £862,000 over budget

A new primary school built at a cost of £9m was £862,000 over budget, it has emerged.

Ben Wyvis Primary School in Conon Bridge in Ross-shire was opened in 2012.

The 10-classroom building merged and replaced Conon Bridge and Maryburgh primary schools. It is named after a mountain in the area.

Highland councillors were told of the overspend at a meeting in Inverness on Wednesday.

At the meeting, the local authority’s chief executive Steve Barron apologised for failings in the school’s building project.

Victoria Street superpub plans scrapped

Plans to turn a former Indian restaurant in Edinburgh’s Old Town into a £2 million Wetherspoon superpub have been scrapped for the second time.

The Evening News has reported that landlord 1V Limited has withdrawn an application to transform the old Khushi’s in Victoria Street.

Attempts last year to open a large Wetherspoon pub were knocked back amid claims the scheme would have a negative impact on the B-listed structure, which has lain empty since it was devastated by a blaze in 2008.

A fresh pub bid had been launched for the site in July, with Wetherspoon again lined up as the likely occupier.

Bosses at 1V said their proposal was scrapped because of “design issues” but stressed that another application would be submitted.

Step forward for Peebles and Hawick 3G pitch projects

The delivery of two 3G pitch projects in Hawick and Peebles has taken a step forward.

Councillors approved Volunteer Park in Hawick and Victoria Park in Peebles as preferred locations for the two new pitches.

Councillors also agreed to take forward planning applications, grant funding applications to sportscotland and to progress the procurement process, in order that both pitches could be built in 2016.