Building Briefs – September 28th

Two Fife housing associations are working in partnership to deliver badly needed new affordable homes for the older and disabled people in Methil.

Twenty-three homes will be developed and built by Kingdom Housing Association and will then be transferred into the ownership of Glen Housing Association which will have responsibility for their allocation, management and maintenance.

A large number of the new homes are being developed to meet particular needs, with sixteen one and two-bedroom amenity and two two-bedroom properties designed to full wheelchair standard. The remaining five houses will provide one, two and three bedroom general needs homes.

The £2.7 million project is partly funded by the Scottish Government, which provided £1.766m in grant subsidy, and is being developed by Kingdom as part of the Fife Alliance Collaborative Working arrangement.

The project is being provided for Kingdom at Methil Brae, Methil, Fife by Robertson Partnership Homes as part of a larger development and has been designed by Sinclair Watt Architects. Work started on site in June this year and the first phase of completions are programmed for completion before the end of April.

Cruyff Court to start taking shape in Aberdeen next month

Plans to create a world-renowned multi-use community sports facility in Aberdeen have reached a new milestone as a contractor has been appointed to start work.

Inverurie-based Hunter Construction will give the new Catherine Street Court an extreme make-over to create Scotland’s first Cruyff Court, the brainchild of Dutch footballing legend Johan Cruyff.

Aberdeen City Council has signed an agreement with the contractor on behalf of their partnership with The Denis Law Legacy Trust and the Johan Cruyff Foundation to carry out the work from next month.

Scottish Borders Council to discuss locations for Great Tapestry visitor centre

Scottish Borders Council is to discuss potential locations for a visitor centre as part of a multi-million pound community-led art project.

The Great Tapestry of Scotland is a scheme to stitch “the entire story of Scotland” through a 143-metre long tapestry.

The Scottish Government has pledged to commit up to £2.5 million towards the projects delivery while the council will spend up to £3.5m.

Councillors are now to consider a private report next week on two potential locations for the projects visitor centre in Tweedbank and Galashiels.

Members will hear both the previously identified Tweedbank site, opposite Tweedbank Railway Station, and a town centre site in Galashiels are viable options for the siting of the visitor centre.

Ashleigh (Scotland) to deliver East Ayrshire primary school

Contractor Ashleigh (Scotland) has started building a new primary school in East Ayrshire.

The new Muirkirk Primary School is due to be completed next summer.

The single-storey development will have an ‘A’ energy efficiency rating and will feature an early childhood centre and community facilities, complete with a community garden and fun play areas.

McLaughlin & Harvey nominated for Best Employer Awards accolade

McLaughlin & Harvey has been nominated for an accolade at the Business Insider Scotland’s Best Employer Awards 2016.

The contractor is on the shortlist for the Best Health & Wellbeing Award, which recognises employers who put their employees at the heart of their business through promoting development, health and wellbeing.

McL&H’s ‘Get on Board’ tour bus initiative was highlighted for the category. The bus visits various sites annually over a two-week summer period and contains health advice and information, as well as a nurse who conducts health checks.

The Awards will take place at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow on Wednesday, 05 October.

Customer service accolade for Perth & Kinross Building Standards team

Perth & Kinross Council’s Building Standards team has been praised for the quality of, and its attention to, customer service.

The team, part of the Environment Service, have recently been assessed as meeting the Customer Service Excellence standard by SGS, a leading international inspection, verification, testing and certification company.

The independent assessor from SGS considered that Building Standards had a “deep understanding of, and commitment to, customer service excellence” at all levels of the 18-strong team. This was reinforced by customers and partners interviewed as part of the assessment process.

Council apprentice shortlisted for UK-Wide industry award

An East Dunbartonshire Council apprentice has been shortlisted in the final of the APSE National Apprentice of the Year Awards.

Paul Don, a 21-year-old second-year Construction Management apprentice, will discover how he has fared against UK-wide opposition at the awards ceremony next month.

He was previously named Student of the Year while achieving his HNC in Building Services Engineering at North Glasgow College. With two university places open to him, Mr Don decided instead to embark on a four-year apprenticeship with the council.

Golden cockerel returns to lofty perch at Falkirk steeple

As part of the on-going restoration works to the Steeple, the weather cockerel has returned to the building after recently being removed for repair and re-gilding by AL Sillars of Glasgow.

Following re-installation of the cockerel and completion of works at the top of the Steeple, the scaffolding will start to be removed in stages from the top down. Essential repairs to the clock faces and mechanisms are on-going and the contractor is making good progress with stone repairs and re-pointing.

The work is part of Falkirk town centre’s £5.6 million Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) that aims to help regeneration by restoring, repairing and preserving the town’s heritage features and historic buildings, in a bid to create a more attractive streetscape, boost business and encourage more visitors, residents, services and retailers to the area.

£443k funding for the project will be received from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Environment Scotland as key funders of the restoration works.

Situated in the High Street of the town, the current landmark stands approximately 140 feet high and has dominated the town’s skyline for 200 years.