Building Briefs Sept 18

Cowdenbeath has received a major jobs boost after planning permission was granted for a new supermarket in the town.

Aldi has been given the go-ahead to construct a new store on the site of the former police station on Stenhouse Street, in a move that is expected to create around 30 jobs.

Fife Council has granted permission for construction of the store, which could be up and running next year.

Cairn invests in biomass to drop in big savings for tenants

Cairn Housing Association tenants at Scotsburn Court in Tain have watched as a new biomass boiler plant was craned into place.

The court’s new biomass containerised boiler plant was constructed in Inverness and contains fuel storage, tanks, heat exchangers and a large boiler.

Cairn has invested over £200,000 in the new biomass plant which is anticipated will generate up to 40 per cent savings on tenant’s service charges. Biomass is a sustainable fuel source which is greener and more efficient than traditional heating systems.

The new system will offer significant savings on maintenance costs and generate income through the UK Government’s Renewable Heating Incentive which was set up to encourage the use of renewable energy through the use of financial incentives.

Hillcrest suing scrap merchants over Dundee fire

Hillcrest Housing Association is suing a Dundee scrap merchants for more than £500,000 following a massive blaze which left six homes in ruins.

Seventy residents were forced to flee their homes during the fire on Scott Street in May 2010.

The incident started at the Henderson Kerr Ltd on Paterson Street before spreading to the housing area on Scott Street.

Now, the association is pursuing a figure believed to be in the region of £500,000 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, over the 13 flats that had to be gutted.

A Hillcrest spokesperson told our sister publication Scottish Housing News: “We are unable to comment at this time due to legal proceeding being underway.”

Historic Dunain House near Inverness destroyed in fire

A derelict hospital building near Inverness has been destroyed by fire.

The blaze at historic Dunain House, off the A82, broke out at 22:30 on Wednesday night, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said.

The building, constructed in the mid-18th Century, had been part of Craig Dunain Hospital in Leachkin.

There were no reports of injuries at the site. SFRS and police have begun an investigation into the cause of the blaze.

Work set to start on Ellon bridge leading to new £30m school

Building work to create a new bridge connecting youngsters to a £36 million community campus will start next week.

Developers FMP Projects confirmed the bridge, connecting Ellon Academy with the town centre, will run from land near a sewage plant to the Cromleybank site.

The bridge over the River Ythan will be 120 metres (393 feet) long and three metres (9.8ft) wide and will connect pupils living in areas such as Castle Park to the new state-of-the-art facility.

Project manager for the development Paul McClements said the new bridge will open at the same time as the school.

Consultation launched for Shawlands civic square

Glasgow City Council has launched a consultation into the creation of a new civic square in Shawlands as part of a wider £3.3m strategy to improve the neighbourhood environment by 2017.

Situated at Shawlands Cross, opposite Langside Halls, the plan is to better integrate Queens Park with the town centre through provision of a new gateway space, complementing recent public realm enhancements made to Kilmarnock Road.

In a statement GCC said: “The council believe a well-designed space could bring Queens Park into the heart of the Shawlands town centre and potentially attract more visitors to the area by providing a gateway. The proposed public space could also act as a potential stopping point to and from the city centre and for those on route to Scotland’s national football stadium at Hampden.

“The council and its partners want to know what the Shawlands and the Southside community think of the proposal and the design of any potential square.”

The consultation launches at Langside Hall on 24 September between 10:00 and 20:00 with a follow-up event taking place between 10:00 and 18:00 on 4 October.

Separate plans are already in train from Collective Architecture to transform Langside Halls into a community resource.

New shop facades planned to lure shoppers into Ellon

Shops in Ellon town centre could return to more traditional frontages under a scheme to entice shoppers back.

Grants of up to £5,000 are being made available to traders to make the town centre more appealing.

It is hoped that sprucing up the shops will bring both local shoppers and visitors back into the heart of the town.

Aberdeenshire Council funded scheme is a response to challenging retail conditions in towns and villages across the region.

The aim is to encourage and support investment by retailers and property owners in their premises to make towns and villages an attractive place to live and shop in.