Building Briefs – September 15th

Cadder Housing Association has commenced the development of 50 new homes for rent on the site of the former St. Agnes Primary School at Tresta Road in Cadder.

The new housing development will provide a variety of house types and sizes, which will balance the Association’s stock portfolio and contribute towards Glasgow City Council’s City Plan.

To be delivered by McTaggart Construction, the development of high quality homes will cost £5.9 million and will be funded by Housing Association Grant of £3.7m through Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government and £2.2m by the Association.

The new housing is scheduled for completion in November 2018.

Kier Construction Scotland scoops gold at health and safety awards

Kier Construction Scotland has been awarded a top industry accolade for its health and safety credentials by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

Kier was presented with a prestigious Gold Award at the RoSPA’s Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2017 at the Hilton Glasgow hotel on September 14.

The RoSPA scheme is the largest and longest running of its kind in the UK and this award is the sixth consecutive year that Kier’s Scottish business has been recognised for its commitment to accident and ill-health prevention.

This award comes as Kier Construction Scotland announced that over a 21 month period to April 2017, it exceeded an impressive 4.8 million man hours without a RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) incident. This major achievement highlights the importance that Kier places on health and safety.

The scheme is open to businesses and organisations of all types and sizes from across the UK and overseas. Judges considered entrants’ overarching occupational health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.

Moray engineering firm to employ graduate apprentice

A Moray engineering and construction company has become one of the first in the north to take on an engineering Graduate Level Apprentice.

Laura Mair (20) has joined Forres firm AJ Engineering & Construction Services who, along with its education partner, Heriot-Watt University, offer apprentices a route to gain a bachelor’s level degree while working for the company.

And whilst offering apprenticeships is nothing new for AJ Engineering, which also welcomes four other Modern Apprentices this week, managing director Alan James said he was excited his firm was embracing this new work-based learning route.

Alan is himself a time served apprentice, starting out with William Reid Engineering Ltd. When that company folded, Alan who was by then a projects director launched AJ Engineering.

Also starting at AJ Engineering in the same week as Laura are apprentices in Welding and Fabrication, Bethany Bass (25), Angus Duggie (27), Calum Openshaw (18) and Jake Innes (16).

Graduate Level Apprenticeships were developed by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) working with employers and education, supported by European Social Funds.

They support the Scottish Government’s youth employment strategy and were developed in line with Sir Ian Wood’s recommendations for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce.

Auchinairn’s new £4.95m community facility beginning to take shape

Auchinairn’s brand new Community Centre and Early Learning & Childcare Centre is on track to open next Spring with construction now almost one third complete.

Since work began in May, the steel frame has been erected on part of the cleared site of the former Auchinairn Primary School and the building’s roof is now on.

Local people passing the site on Beech Road can now watch as the building, representing an investment of £4.95m, takes shape. A special viewing deck has been built for children from the nearby nursery to watch the construction from a safe distance.

Council Leader, Gordan Low, was on site to see the progress for himself and to meet with children from Auchinairn Nursery who will move into it next year. Local councillors, council officers and the council’s build partners also attended.

The Auchinairn facility is being delivered via the Scape National Major Works framework. Construction is being carried out by Robertson Construction Central Ltd on a design by architects Holmes Miller.

Stirling Sports Village enters final phase

Contractors are moving into the final phase of the extension and improvements works to the car park at Stirling Sports Village following the completion of the National Curling Academy.

The area behind the National Curling Academy will be reinstated to provide a further 26 car parking spaces. A permanent service road will also be created to allow access to ensure segregation of service and delivery vehicles.

The work will commence on September 18 and will be completed by mid-November.

A835 set for engineering investigation

An engineering investigation is to be carried out to examine the potential for a new footpath along the A835 road in Elphin, Sutherland.

The probe will investigate the construction of a level verge footpath along the length one side of the A835 to connect houses to the phone box, post box and Community Hall to encourage healthy life styles and reduce isolation.

Road signage will also be improved and two permanent solar powered “smiley faces” will be installed at each end of the village.

The scheme is being carried out after council members approved plans to reduce the road’s 40mph speed limit to 30mph over a 650-metre section of the route.

The remainder of the 40mph speed limit will not to be reduced to 30mph in accordance with engineering reasons and national guidelines.

Dunfermline Queen Margaret station car park expansion to begin

Work is to start on a car park expansion project at Dunfermline Queen Margaret station in Fife.

Additional spaces will be added to the station’s car park over two consecutive weekends; 23 – 24 September and 30 September to 01 October.

Council grants lease for Ha’Penny House to Friends of the River Kelvin

Glasgow City Council has granted a 25-year lease to Ha’Penny House to the Friends of the River Kelvin (FoRK).

The council’s executive committee made the decision, which will allow FoRK to use the building as an office and community space.

The Friends of the River Kelvin have been using Ha’Penny House - located close to the banks of the Kelvin, north of the Botanic Gardens - for the past 20 years.

Granting this lease and the subsequent security of tenure means that FoRK will now be in a stronger position in bidding for grant funding to support future activities.