Building Briefs - September 9th

• CALA launches shipshape showhome at Leith waterfront

Launched on September 5, The Brae townhouse showhome at Waterfront Plaza has been styled by Blocc Interiors, whose design team sought to highlight the home’s innate adaptability, as well as its abundance of light thanks to high ceilings and large windows.

Designed with city professionals, couples, growing families and downsizers in mind, The Brae’s carefully created layout can be adapted to cater for a variety of different and evolving needs, while also providing all the extra room needed for visiting family and friends.

On the ground floor, a family room the breadth of the property highlights a range of potential uses. In the new showhome, it is an informal family room paired with a stylish home office that makes full use of the light – and the full height window out to the quay. The space would also be perfect as a double office, fourth bedroom, or hobby room.

To the front, the ground floor hosts a third bedroom, utility room, WC and storage space that adds further real world practicality. This double bedroom is dressed as a smart guest room.

Last year, CALA engaged with Blocc to design the original show apartment at Waterfront Plaza. Blocc’s designs were so impressive that CALA again went to the team to design a show apartment within one of its colony apartments. Off-plan and early sales for the colonies were so fast that the home was then sold, giving Blocc the opportunity to design the townhouse showhome.

• Dräger Marine and Offshore UK secures ‘significant’ wireless gas detection order

A c.€1 million order is to be the single largest Dräger installation in the UK and one of its largest wireless gas detection installations globally.

The new contract is also thought to be the largest wireless gas detection system employed by a North Sea operator. Work will commence on the project, that includes the installation of over 120 wireless gas detectors, in September.

The project was very time sensitive making wireless technology a great solution due to its fast deployment, using wireless technology also kept installation costs to a minimum whilst still providing the ability to precisely locate the detectors where the risk was deemed highest without having to consider existing brownfield infrastructure as part of the installation philosophy.

• Islamic charity to convert former Scotstoun pub

An Islamic charity’s bid to turn a former Scotstoun pub into a religious and educational centre has been given the green light.

Glasgow City Council has ruled the Islamic Centre Scotstoun can change the use of the old Rendezvous building on Burnham Road.

The group had asked for permission to open a “community centre for the advancement of education and a praying hall”.

The plans state there will be approximately 40 parking spaces on the site.

• Final week for comments on Cairngorm masterplan document

The consultation on the development of a masterplan for Cairngorm Estate has entered its final week.

Members of the public wishing to make further contributions to the plans have until September 14 to do so.

Cairngorm Estate owner, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), opened the consultation on July 29, seeking feedback on its ‘Cairngorm Mountain – Towards a vision and masterplan’ document through an online survey.

The document was the result of widespread and detailed consultation carried out in February and March this year with statutory authorities, the local community and stakeholder organisations across Scotland.

So far more than 230 responses have been submitted, taking an average of 17 minutes to complete the questionnaire, with 98% of responses answering all the questions.

The aim is to agree a consensus vision for the future of Cairngorm Estate, with strategies that can be delivered in the short, medium and longer term to unlock its potential as both an environmental and economic asset.

• Funding for restoration of Preston Tower and Doocot

The restoration of historic Preston Tower and Doocot in Prestonpans is to be supported by the allocation of a town centre improvement grant provided by the Scottish Government.

Preston Tower is a late Medieval towerhouse originally constructed in the 15th century and then repaired and extended upwards in the 17th century.

The project has been identified in collaboration with Prestonpans Community Council, the Preston Seton Gosford Area Partnership, and the National Lottery-funded Great Place Project. Restoration of the buildings is focused on improving access while contributing to the regeneration of the area in collaboration with the local community.

East Lothian Council was allocated £1,275m from the Scottish Government’s 2019/20 Town Centre Fund. Funding had been earmarked for the creation of a travel hub in Haddington, however, this project cannot be delivered in the required timescale for use of the funding.

Instead, the allocation will be used to fund the improvements at Preston Tower, which is expected to cost up to £900,000.

Funding from the Town Centre Fund, meanwhile, is also being using to support public realm improvements at Prestonpans War Memorial.