Building Briefs – September 14th

North Berwick affordable homes ‘on track’ for November completion

The first completions of 105 “much needed” affordable homes being built as part of a 420-new homes development in North Berwick are well on schedule for November 2016.

Cruden Homes was selected by site owners North Berwick Trust as the delivery partner for all affordable homes on the Mains Farm development which will complement housing for sale on the 103 acre site located on the south side of the town’s Grange Road.

An innovative mixed tenure approach has been agreed between Cruden Homes and East Lothian Council, in conjunction with North Berwick Trust and will provide a choice of different tenures including homes for social rent, mid market rent and discounted housing for sale.

Two areas of the site (AH1 and AH2) were originally identified for the delivery of 105 affordable units in two phases of 50 and 55 units respectively.

The first three-bedroom homes for discounted sale are now available for sale. Priced at £159,600, these first new homes will be completed in November and are being sold to households who meet specific criteria and qualify for East Lothian Council’s discounted for sale scheme. The scheme has been developed to offer households who are unable to afford open market housing in North Berwick to buy their own home at an affordable price.

The first phase also includes a mix of one and two-bedroom cottage flats and two and three- bedroom houses which will be owned and managed by Dunedin Canmore Housing, part of the Wheatley Group.

The second phase of 55 affordable homes (AH2) will be developed by Cruden Homes in the years 2020/21 and 2021/22 and will provide a mix of social rent, mid market rent and discounted housing for sale.

Flanagan Lawrence to design University of St Andrews music centre

The University of St Andrews has appointed architects Flanagan Lawrence to design its new music centre close to the medieval heart of the university town.

The project will provide a new home for St Andrews’ Music Centre in a building which will enable community access, professional performance, tuition and rehearsal, and the study of music as part of the undergraduate degree programme.

The centre will be built on a site on Queens Terrace, St Andrews, which currently has temporary buildings and a car park. The new building will restore an historic quad and preserve the features of St Mary’s Quadrangle, while complementing the neighbouring St Regulus Hall student residence and the Bute Building.

The University will work with Flanagan Lawrence to develop the brief, with initial designs expected to be unveiled later this year, and a full public consultation to follow.

Subject to planning permission and the final approval of University Court, it’s anticipated the project will be completed in 2018.

£3m Glasgow sewers repairs programme to begin

Dozens of Glasgow properties affected by sewage floods will benefit from a £3 million repairs project.

Scottish Water is about to start a major environmental improvement project which will tackle sewer flooding in the Milton area.

The water authority said 32 properties in the Mingulay Crescent and Scaraway Street area had experienced recurring problems with internal and external flooding for a number of years.

A total of £3.1m is being spent to increase the capacity of the sewer network so that it can store more water during times of heavy rainfall.

This will be done by upsizing the existing sewer pipework and installing new storm overflow pipes.

The project is part of a £250m five-year programme of work and is expected to be completed in about a year.

Minister praises Lovell for building youngsters’ construction careers

Scotland’s employability and training minister Jamie Hepburn has praised housing developer Lovell for helping young people build successful construction careers.

The firm has been awarded the Investors in Young People (IIYP) Gold Accreditation, recognising its outstanding work in employing and training young team members.

IIYP is Scotland’s only people management award focusing on employers’ recruitment and retention of young people.

Mr Hepburn presented Lovell with the IIYP accreditation award during a visit to the company’s offices at the Glasgow Business Park, Baillieston.

Lovell works closely with schools and colleges inspiring students and raising young people’s awareness of construction careers from an early age. Members of staff act also as construction ambassadors, talking to students and attending school and college careers fairs.

In addition, the company organises regular events and activities such as student site visits and work experience placements giving students first-hand experience of working in construction.

All young people who join the company are supported through a ‘buddy’ system with coaching and mentoring also forming an important part of the company’s training approach. Young people are supported to gain trade and professional qualifications and are encouraged to keep developing their skills and knowledge throughout their careers.

Green light for Duntanlich barite mine

Proposals to develop a world class barite resource at Duntanlich, north of Aberfeldy, have been approved by Perth & Kinross Council councillors, subject to conditions.

The mine, proposed by oilfield services company M-I SWACO, is a replacement for the company’s mine at Foss, which has operated since 1985, but with a much smaller surface footprint.

The Duntanlich orebody is unique in the UK. It is the only known significant barite deposit that is economic to work and will enable the UK to become self-sufficient in a mineral vital to the North Sea oil and gas industry, ensuring security of supply.

The planning process saw extensive community consultation to inform the proposal, with events held in Ballinluig, Pitlochry and Aberfeldy and meetings with key stakeholders, Support was received from individuals and organisations including Perthshire and Aberdeen and Grampian Chambers of Scotland and CBI Scotland and SCDI (Scottish Council for Development and Industry).

Barite is largely used as a weighting agent for drilling fluids in oil and gas exploration and there is no substitute with all the essential properties of this mineral. It also used as a value added product in the automobile and medical industries and as a weighting agent in civil engineering.

The Foss barite deposit has a complex geological structure which has made it increasingly difficult to mine. In comparison, a mine at Duntanlich, which has a simple geological structure, will supply the whole of the UK’s requirements for 50 years at planned production rates.

The Duntanlich development will provide skilled employment for around 30 people, drawn from the local area, where employment is largely reliant on tourism and forestry. The development will also provide indirect employment opportunities for local suppliers and contractors.

Engineering firm secures £200m funding from Scottish Water

Ross-Shire Engineering has secured a potential £200 million funding investment from Scottish Water.

The firm will supply equipment for the company’s Capital and Operational Delivery framework projects over the next five years.

The deal means over 100 new jobs have been created while additional jobs security has been secured for its existing 273 staff members. In addition, the company has expanded its apprenticeship programme.

Contractors sought for Dornoch sports centre

Work on a state-of-the-art sports centre in the grounds of Dornoch Academy is expected to start in the New Year.

Highland Council has invited contractors with an interest in building the £3 million complex to step forward.

The sports centre project, which was previously a community initiative, was taken over by the local authority and included in its capital programme in 2013.

The complex will have four badminton courts with changing facilities, a viewing gallery, office and staff base.

A preferred site for the building has been selected on an area of gravel by the primary school and next to a small all-weather pitch.

£5m fund launched to help deliver more island affordable homes

Up to 100 affordable homes will be delivered in island communities through a new £5 million fund.

Speaking during a Scottish Parliament debate on housing yesterday, housing minister Kevin Stewart revealed that the Scottish Government will establish a new Islands Housing Fund - backed by up to £5m funding over three years - to increase the availability of affordable housing in the islands.

This investment is in addition to the £25m Rural Housing Fund which is supporting the building of new homes and refurbishment of existing properties in rural areas.

Scottish Greens call for action on cost of land

Andy Wightman MSP, housing spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, used the debate on housing at Holyrood to urge Scottish ministers to stop developers inflating the cost of land.

The Green amendment for yesterday’s debate - not selected by the Presiding Officer - highlighted the fact that land values rise when infrastructure is built or planning permission is given, and by capturing this value, more and better homes can be built.

Andy Wightman MSP said: “All houses should be affordable but they are not. Average prices are now double what they were in 2003, have risen at twice the rate of inflation and outstripped average earnings by even more.

“To date the Scottish Government has argued that it does not set targets for overall housing supply, as it relies on developers. Government targets on housing land supply since 2007 have not been met, due to this failed model.

“Rather than leaving something so fundamental as housing to be dominated by the speculative volume house-building industry, we must intervene.

“Look at Germany, where land with planning permission has its value capped so more money is available to improve the quality of the housing, so it is cheaper to run and lasts longer. Scotland used to do this until 1959 and we need to revisit the idea.

“Greens will keep up the pressure to bring about a transformation in housing policy and end Scotland’s housing crisis.”

Plans on show for Halbeath expansion

The public will get the chance to air their views on a massive development in Halbeath later this month.

Taylor Wimpey East Scotland will host a public exhibition of proposals for its planned development to the land north of Halbeath.

This pre-application exhibition is designed to encourage members of the public to share their views and give feedback before an application for planning permission in principle to Fife Council later this year.

The exhibition of Taylor Wimpey’s plans will take place from 3 to 8pm on Wednesday September 21.

It will be hosted by the team at Carnegie Conference Centre in Halbeath.

Brewery invests £250k on visitor centre upgrade

The Arran Brewery is investing almost a quarter of a million pounds on upgrades at the brewery and visitor centre on Arran.

The upgrade will create a number of new jobs on the island. The brewery is gearing up for its second round of crowdfunding and continues to expand both on Arran and the mainland, where it is planning to open a lager and cider production facility.

Kingdom Housing Association expands its in-house maintenance team

Kingdom Housing Association has expanded its in-house maintenance team with the addition of three new employees to extend the type of repairs and maintenance that can be undertaken.

Kingdom’s in-house maintenance team was set up 13 years ago with just three employees and has now grown to 29 operatives, including three apprentices. It was originally established with the specific goal of helping to improve the time taken to carry out repairs in empty properties, to bring them back up to a standard ready to re-let. Since then the team has gradually increased in size and in the areas of work it can undertake.

In 2006 the team took on a share of the association’s reactive repairs work and in 2010 it took over all of Kingdom’s reactive repairs and out-of-hours emergency service.