Building Briefs – September 29

A recovery in construction has driven up new Scottish business start-up numbers.

The Committee of Scottish Bankers recorded 3,179 start-ups in the quarter to June, up 36 on the 3,143 recorded in the same period last year. The number of start-ups had fallen by nine per cent annually in the first quarter of this year.

The figures include businesses opening accounts with Royal Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank and the Bank of Scotland and TSB arms of Lloyds Banking Group.

The statistics indicate activity is increasing in some sectors amid the economic recovery.

The clearing banks recorded 389 start-ups in the city of Glasgow area in the second quarter, compared with 297 in the same period of last year and 375 in the first three months of 2014.

There were 268 new businesses in Edinburgh in the second quarter, down from 339 in the same period of 2013 and 297 in the first three months of 2014 while in Aberdeen there were 197 start-ups recorded in the second quarter, versus 192 in the same period last year and 171 in the first three months of 2014.

The body formerly known as the Committee of Scottish Clearing Bankers logged 5,550 start-ups in the first three months of 2008 and 5,465 in the second quarter of that year amid the boom that preceded the global financial crisis.

Grant Thornton UK to take space at CONNECT110NS development in Glasgow

Business and financial advisory firm, Grant Thornton UK LLP, is the latest leading organisation to choose BAM Properties’ Grade-A development, CONNECT110NS, as the location for its new Glasgow office.

The firm is to lease the top floor, the eighth, occupying 15,056 sq ft (1,399 sq m) of accommodation, in the building on the corner of Queen Street and Ingram Street opposite GoMa, the Gallery of Modern Art.

The building will be handed over by BAM Construction to BAM Properties in June 2015 and Grant Thornton is scheduled to move from its existing premises at 95 Bothwell Street in November 2015.

Shopfitter chief predicts firm is poised to deliver

The chief executive of Havelock Europa has underlined the company’s commitment to Fife and hailed the progress it has achieved with a strategy focused on cutting debts and developing new income streams.

While the shopfitting to educational supplies business recorded a second successive first half loss of £2 million before tax and exceptionals, Eric Prescott said the company has put itself in a position to deliver in the second half.

He said Havelock, which posted its first full year profit for five years in 2013, is performing in line with market expectations.

Analysts at Havelock Europa’s broker, Oriel Securities, expect the company to increase pre-tax profits before exceptionals to £900,000 in 2014, from £600,000 last year.

Mr Prescott said Havelock Europa has been benefiting from increased investment by retail groups amid the recovery in the broader economy.

He said the company has made good progress with efforts to win more business overseas, which will reduce its reliance on the UK.

Planners approve new holiday lodges

A plan to create ten tourist lodges near the worldwide “home of golf” has been given the go-ahead.

The lodges at Brownhills Farm, on the outskirts of St Andrews, will complement an existing farm and horse business on the site.

Homeowner wins battle with council

A homeowner has won a two-year legal battle against council plans to buy half his garden to build a new road.

Glen Morrison, 50, took action after he was served with a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for a 43 square metres section of his front garden.

Aberdeen City Council wanted the land as part of plans to build a new river crossing to ease traffic congestion on the north side of the city.

Scottish Opera’s £14m revamp of Theatre Royal is hit by new delay

Scottish Opera’s £14 million revamp of its Theatre Royal home will not be completed until December, seven months behind schedule.

Fresh snags have hit the construction of the building’s new foyer and it will not now open to the public until just before Christmas.

The landmark foyer was originally meant to open in May, and then July, but further delays have forced the postponement of the new addition’s grand opening.

Contracts drive Campbell & Kennedy’s new office

Electricals company Campbell & Kennedy said it has opened an office in Banchory, Aberdeenshire after securing contracts in the area.

Managing director Gerry Kennedy said the new office will help boost company turnover from £8 million to £12m by end-December, and comes after it opened a premises in Northern Ireland last year.

The business, based in Clydebank Business Park, said it was recently appointed to deliver electrical contracting and solar panel installation contracts for new-build housing in Aberdeen. This includes housing being developed under the Scottish Government’s Greener Home Innovation Scheme for Muirfield Contracts.

High-voltage cable plans get go-ahead

Plans to run a high-voltage cable through the Scottish countryside strong enough to power almost 700,000 homes have been given the go-ahead by officials, despite fears salmon stock could be hit by electromagnetic fields.

The superconnector links one of the world’s largest offshore windfarms with the National Grid.

It transports electricity generated by the 187 wind turbines which will be installed in the Moray Firth as part of a flagship offshore windfarm development by Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd to land. The cable comes onshore next to Inverboydie, near Banff, on the Northeast coast, and stretches 20 miles to New Deer, Aberdeenshire. The firm claims the three windfarms will generate enough electricity to power up to 690,000 homes.

Go-ahead for wind farm with tallest turbines on mainland

Plans for the tallest wind turbines in mainland UK have been given the green light by council planners.

Seven of the 15 turbines near Crawfordjohn in South Lanarkshire will be 500ft high and could power up to 28,000 homes.

Meanwhile, Scottish Natural Heritage has made a last-minute objection to plans for 31 turbines at Allt Duine just outside the Cairngorms National Park boundary. The project’s backers said it was “disappointing and concerning”.

Funding approved for phase 2 of Edinburgh flood prevention scheme

Plans to begin the second phase of a multi-million pound flood prevention scheme in Edinburgh were given a boost when funding was approved.

The Water of Leith Flood Prevention Scheme (WoLFPS) is a key infrastructure project to help protect hundreds of properties in vulnerable areas of the city from future flooding.

Following the completion of the first phase, which included defences at Veitches Square, Stockbridge Colonies, Warriston, St Mark’s Park and Bonnington, overall costs for a reconfigured Phase 2 at Murrayfield/Roseburn were estimated at £25.241m.

However, the available capital budget for this second phase stood at £20.539m, leaving a shortfall of £4.702m and jeopardising the delivery of this next stage of the WoLFPS.

The City of Edinburgh Council has now agreed to fund this shortfall through a realignment and transfer of existing Services for Communities capital budgets, meaning that the formal procurement process can now get under way, with flood prevention works starting in the Roseburn and Murrayfield area in autumn 2015.

£750,000 award for group in residential centre bid

The Scottish Land Fund has awarded £750,000 towards plans for the community ownership of a residential centre.

The award was made to the South Cowal Community Development Company, which was formed in 2010 in an earlier attempt to buy Castle Toward in the south of the Cowal Peninsula.

It will go towards purchasing the 143 acre estate, preserving the buildings and creating jobs.

The Grade B Listed baronial mansion house will be leased and developed by a national outdoor education company, yet to be named. It was owned by the City of Glasgow for decades for the benefit of its children.