Building Briefs – September 19th

Giving local councils the power to tax the 20,000 football pitches’ worth of vacant and derelict land in Scotland could generate £200 million a year to build affordable homes and tackle the housing crisis, according to research by the Scottish Greens.

The report published today by Andy Wightman MSP reveals that nearly 13,000 hectares of land in communities across Scotland currently lies vacant and derelict, of which 69% (around 9,000 hectares) could be developed.

There are almost 4,000 derelict sites in Scotland, including 782 in Glasgow, 487 in North Lanarkshire, 281 in North Ayrshire, 235 in South Lanarkshire and 223 in Fife.

In Edinburgh, where house prices are the highest of any Scottish city, there are 76 derelict sites with a further 157 throughout East, West and Midlothian.

(Full story…)

Scottish Water unveils largest solar panel project to date in the heart of Speyside

As Climate Week 2017 gets underway, Scottish Water is announcing the completion of the utility’s largest solar panel scheme to date in the heart of Scotch whisky country.

Scottish Water Horizons, a wholly owned subsidiary of Scottish Water, is driving forward the organisation’s green agenda having recently installed a total of 4800 photovoltaic (PV) panels at two adjacent borehole sites in Speyside.

As well as being Scottish Water’s largest to date, the PV scheme is also the biggest investment so far by Scottish Water Horizons in this renewable technology.

The £1.2 million installation, which was carried out by contractor Absolute Solar and Wind, will see both sites generating a total of 1GWh of energy per annum, whilst saving 437 CO2eq tonnes of carbon every year.

The installation will also offset over one fifth of the borehole sites’ electrical needs annually.

The PV panels, which were installed on Scottish Water land, will help provide power to pump water to the Badentinan water treatment works nearby.

In addition to helping Scottish Water meet renewable energy targets and protect the environment, savings from the new installation will be passed on to customers to help keep bills down going forward.

Guests gather for Clydebank Leisure Centre official opening

Councillor Iain McLaren officially opened the new Clydebank Leisure Centre yesterday in front of an audience of elected members, West Dunbartonshire Council officials and partner organisations.

The council’s convener of infrastructure, regeneration & economic development unveiled a plaque commemorating the official opening of the £24 million facility ─ which was opened to the public earlier this year and has proved extremely popular with local people.

The new leisure centre replaced the old Playdrome and is operated by West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust. It includes three swimming pools, changing facilities, a café, multi-purpose sports hall with badminton, netball, basketball, and five-a-side football courts and retractable seating, fitness suite, and group exercise studio. It also plays host to Scotland’s first interactive flume ride.

The entire first floor of the centre is made up of a unique interactive activity zone and fitness area for children. It provides state-of-the-art adaptable facilities for young people to encourage active lifestyles. The very latest technology, including wall and floor projectors, is used to create two large activity areas and two large party rooms.

Iain Marley, CEO of project development partners hub West Scotland, said: “Hub West Scotland is proud to have delivered this fantastic community facility on the banks of the Clyde through our valued partnership with West Dunbartonshire Council. Located on the site where the QE2 was launched, it is sure to become a future landmark.”

Property boom as Perth and Kinross sees prices jump 10%

Property prices in Perth and Kinross are now nearly four times the national average, having risen by almost 10% during the second quarter of the year, new figures from estate agents Aberdein Considine have revealed.

The soaring prices outstrip any city in Scotland, as well as the 2.6% growth recorded across the country as a whole.

While the average price of a home in Scotland now stands at £161,815, the average price of a property in Perth and Kinross has hit £194,653 – up by almost £17,500 on the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the estate and letting agent’s Property Monitor report, which suggests most activity taking place within the £150,000 £325,000 price bracket, also shows that prices in Fife and Dundee have risen by 4.2% and 5.5% in the same period, while Angus has seen a 1% drop.

Dundee saw its average property price rise from £126,343 to £133,312 (17.6% below the Scottish average), with the value of homes in Fife going from £144,561 last year to £150,597.

Prices in Angus are almost 2% below the Scottish average, having dropped from £180,482 in 2016 to £158,900.

(Full story…)

£4.5m Findhorn viaduct refurb project takes shape

A £4.5 million viaduct refurbishment project in the Scottish Highlands is starting to take shape.

The scheme at Findhorn viaduct in Tomatin is being carried out as part of Network Rail’s UK wide Railway Upgrade Plan.

Over the last 18 months, the 405-metre grade B-listed structure has been grit blasted, cleaned, repaired and repainted.

Specialist contractor Taziker Industrial worked alongside Network Rail’s engineers to deliver the scheme, which saw the bridge ‘encapsulated’ to provide the right working environment in the exposed location, as well as to stop any contaminants from leaking into the air and river below – particularly during grit blasting.

The scaffolding will be removed and the site compound cleared by the end of October.

Kilmardinny House officially reopened after £2.73m refurbishment

Clark Contracts has completed work on a £2.73 million building refurbishment project in East Dunbartonshire.

The scheme at Kilmardinny House has been delivered on behalf of the council in partnership with hub West Scotland.

The original A-listed building has undergone internal refurbishment within the multi-functional rooms and facilities, creating a small studio and a new platform lift - installed to increase accessibility.

In addition, a new garden pavilion extension has been created - connected to the main house - which provides a modern, flexible space able to accommodate a range of activities, including performances, exhibitions, conferences and weddings.

Work on Moray school refurb projects complete

Work on two school refurbishment projects in Moray is now complete.

The St Gerardine Primary School in Lossiemouth and the Seafield Primary School in Elgin have both been redeveloped at a cost of more than £11 million.

Improvements at St Gerardine include a new modular extension to add two classrooms, demolition of the hutted accommodation for Ladybird Developmental Nursery, installation of new boilers, doors and windows, as well as full rewiring and replumbing.

In addition, Seafield Primary saw a complete overhaul of the electric and plumbing systems, improved insulation and a mixture of new and upgraded roofing. New modular accommodation has also been added, creating a 40-place nursery and two large classrooms for primary one pupils, with the previous nursery converted into three large classrooms for the upper stages of the school.

A82 tree surveys starting next week

Environmental specialists will be carrying out surveys in the coming weeks on the A82 between Tarbet and Inverarnan to determine the presence of bat roosts in locations near to the trunk road.

The survey works will start on Tuesday 26 September and are a key part of the design and assessment work for the scheme to upgrade this section of the A82, and follow initial tree surveys that were undertaken earlier this year.

Although most of the work will not be carried out on the existing road, traffic management measures will be in place to allow work beside the carriageway to be carried out safely.

The traffic management arrangements will include single lane restrictions using stop-go boards.

Kingdom’s burglar-busting designs secure a massive reduction in crime

A Police Scotland study has found that the 3,000 homes built to Secured by Design crime prevention standards in more than 150 Kingdom Housing Association (KHA) developments in Fife experienced 87% fewer crimes compared than properties not similarly designed and protected.

The results come from a study by Secured by Design (SBD), the national police crime prevention initiative, which has 200 officers and staff attached to Police Forces around the UK to ‘design out crime’.

SBD’s proven crime prevention techniques include the layout and landscaping, such as incorporating natural surveillance and limiting through movement, and increasing the physical security of buildings, such as attack resistant doors, windows and locks to deter opportunist burglars.

The findings of the police study were announced on Monday, 18 September at KHA’s annual general meeting to celebrate the association’s building of 3,000 terraced, semi-detached and detached villas as well as flats and bungalows spread over 153 developments – all to SBD standards.

Crimes included in the study were housebreaking, attempted housebreaking, sneak in thefts and opening of Lockfast Places (usually vehicles, sheds or outbuildings/garages where the locking mechanisms are overcome to gain entry for theft).

The study found that only 1.8% of all of the 3,000 SBD homes were subject to these crimes compared to 14.2% of the non-SBD properties.

The statistics were gathered from crimes from 2007 to 2016 within Fife and compared with 3,000 non-SBD properties over the same period at developments completed between 1997-2015 in Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, St Andrews, Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath, Levenmouth and South West Fife.

Police Scotland Divisional Commander, Colin Gall, presented a certificate to recognise the SBD achievements to KHA’s chair, Freya Lees.

(Full story…)

Child’s play for Dundee builders

As a multi-million pound pharmaceutical facility takes shape on the grounds of Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, local nursery children are enjoying an insight into sights, sounds and safety of the building industry.

Following their first visit to The Teddy Bear Club Nursery earlier this month, Robertson Construction staff returned last week, with a team-building activity centred around construction. Their first visit focused on the machinery and vehicles used on building sites, and why safety is key. The children will also enjoy a visit to the site themselves at a later date.

Work is progressing well on the new multi-million pound facility currently under construction on the Ninewells Hospital site which will house the NHS Scotland Pharmaceutical ‘Specials’ Service.