Building Briefs Sept 23

The RICS Awards showcase the very best projects from throughout Scotland in areas which include; Community Benefit, Design through Innovation, Residential, Infrastructure, Tourism and Leisure, Commercial, Building Conservation and Regeneration.

Think your project has what it takes to become a 2015 RICS Award Winner?

Come along and meet the judging panel and previous award winners. Find out what the judges are looking for and what makes a great entry.

RICS Awards 2015 Launch

Councillors approve external insulation to 100 Dundee homes

Householders in Dundee can expect to save money on their fuel bills after councillors backed proposals to improve external insulation on more than 100 homes in the city.

Dundee City Council’s housing committee last night approved plans to insulate 108 homes in Arklay Street at a cost of £638,000 as part of a scheme funded by the council, the Scottish Government and utility companies.

The council is making a £183,962 contribution to the works at Arklay Street with the remainder coming from a £2.4 million grant from the Scottish Government’s Home Energy Efficiency Programme.

External wall insulation is already being installed at houses in Graham Street and up to 600 more tenanted and owned properties across the city will also benefit as part of this year’s programme.

Plans to create Midlothian homeless accommodation units

Midlothian Council is due to host public information sessions on plans to turn two empty buildings into homeless accommodation units.

The events will showcase proposals to turn Pentland House in Penicuik and Midfield House in Poltonhall into accommodation for homeless households.

Plans for the initiative have already been submitted to the local authority which outlined the benefit the units will have on the surrounding area.

Abertay reappoints maintenance contractor

Abertay Housing Association has re-appointed Dundee based QAPM Ltd as its main contractor for reactive and void maintenance works following a rigorous procurement exercise.

The new contract, which starts on 6 October, is for four years with an option to extend for a further two.

Over the last four years, the partnership has delivered increased customer satisfaction and dramatically reduced the time taken to complete all categories of maintenance works using a core team of locally employed tradesmen and a QAPM supervisor located in Abertay’s office.

Following a recent mobilisation workshop event, an action plan has been drawn up to further enhance and improve services to residents. One example of this is QAPM’s commitment to offer two new apprenticeship places – one tradesman and one administrator. These will be advertised widely and applications from Abertay tenants and relatives will be strongly encouraged.