Building Briefs – September 26th

City Building apprentices have contributed to a major refurbishment project at the Marie Curie Hospice in Glasgow which aims to provide patients with a more modern and comfortable environment.

Eleven apprentices from the Glasgow construction firm helped to repaint a number of bedrooms and shared patient and family areas at the hospice in partnership with paint firm Akzo Nobel/Cromadex. All of the labour and supplies were provided free of charge.

City Building’s contribution follows a staff fundraising drive for the Glasgow Marie Curie hospice. Employees raised £7,000 for the hospice last year by hosting a range of charity events, including bake sales and back waxes. The fundraising drive paid for a day of operations at the hospice.

Marie Curie provides care and support for people living with a terminal illness. Its Glasgow hospice, based in the Springburn area of the city, incorporates a 30-bed in-patient unit and outpatient service. It also offers day services as well as support for families and carers.

Tannochside tenants open doors to new council homes

The official opening of the new council housing development in Tannochside, the eighteenth development delivered by North Lanarkshire Council, was marked with the Provost of North Lanarkshire, Councillor Jean Jones, unveiling a plaque.

The development at Oakdene Avenue on the site of former Tannochside Primary School is the latest as part of the council’s NL Homes programme, which will see 2150 homes built by 2027.

Also marking the occasion were Councillor Allan Graham, convener of enterprise and housing; local councillors Bob Burrows and Hugh Gaffney; Des Murray, assistant chief executive, enterprise and housing resources; Malcolm Macleod, managing director for Robertson Partnership Homes; together with other council officers, representatives from developer Robertson Partnership Homes and tenants living in the development.

There are 16 cottage flats on this site – 8 one bedroom and 8 two bedroom – all built with energy efficiency in mind to help minimise running costs for tenants.

The homes also boast dementia friendly design features, including contrasting colours between kitchen units and flooring, and the use of different coloured front doors to help make the homes more easily identifiable.

They meet Housing for Varying Needs standards and all ground floor flats have wet floor showers.

The homes are also ‘Secured by Design’ accredited, which involves Police Scotland architectural liaison officers having input into the layout and design to ensure we build safe and secure environments.

The Scottish Government contributes towards the development costs at each site.

(Full story… )

Edinburgh mains upgrade investigations planned

Investigation work is to begin ahead of a water mains infrastructure upgrade in Moredun, Edinburgh.

Engineers will start digging trial holes in Ferniehill Road for a new water main on Monday, 02 October.

The six-week scheme will start at the north-east end of the road, with the work being done in sections and progressing towards the junction at Gilmerton Road. Temporary traffic lights will be in place.

New council homes completed in Perth

Tenants have recently moved into brand new Perth & Kinross Council homes at Glenearn Road in Perth.

The new modern blocks, which contain four one-bedroom flats and four two-bedroom flats, welcomed their first occupants this week.

The flats are built to the highest standard. All windows and doors are triple glazed and they are insulated well to keep tenants warm and reduce heating bills.

To mark Scottish Housing Day last week, the council’s housing and communities convener, Councillor Peter Barrett, visited the new development, which cost over £1m, to speak to tenants about their new homes.

The Glenearn Road development, delivered by contractor CCG, was funded in partnership by Perth & Kinross Council and the Scottish Government, as part of the council’s commitment to increase the supply of high-quality social housing in the area.

The council’s affordable house building programme has delivered new homes in the towns and settlements right across the region, including Methven, Scone, Alyth, Inchture, Blairgowrie, Auchterarder, Balbeggie, Rattray and in many sites in Perth. More new builds are in the pipeline, and new developments at Scone and Stanley recently began.

(Full story… )

Councillors discuss new nursery plans in Dundee

A new build to replace the current Francis Wright Pre-School Centre, a feasibility study on a new nursery in the East End, and studies on expansion or alteration to other properties could get underway in Dundee.

Dundee City Council’s children and families service committee discussed the plans as part of preparations to deliver the near doubling of young children’s entitlement to early learning and childcare by 2020.

Up to 450 extra staff could be needed, with training through modern apprenticeships and the future skills college to help provide a skilled workforce.

The committee was told that the Scottish Government has already provided both capital and revenue funding to the city council for this financial years.

Borders poultry sites recommended for approval

Two large poultry buildings which could house 64,000 hens between them are being recommended for approval in the Scottish Borders.

Glenrath Farms want to build one structure near Easter Happrew Farmhouse in Peebles.

The other proposal is at Hutton Hall Barns in Hutton. They could house about 32,000 birds each.

Scottish Borders Council is being advised to approve the egg production plans with a string of conditions.