Building Briefs - December 4th

• Barratt Homes brings Christmas cheer to west of Scotland charities

Toy-donation initiative, Glasgow Spirit of Christmas, will be using its cash boost to help fulfil the needs of local children in care with special needs. In partnership with Moores, Barratt Homes will also supply and fit the charity with a brand new kitchen, as well as employees from the housebuilder helping sort toys ahead of distribution.

For Stepps Community Development Trust, the donation will go towards provisions, allowing for additional Christmas supplies in the festive period for families and children, as well as aiding the general running costs of the organisations’ food bank.

Glasgow Spirit of Christmas supports local children by distributing Christmas presents to those affected by hardship across Glasgow and regions in the west of Scotland. Since 2014, as part of Cultivating Mindfulness, the initiative’s supporters have created the magic of Christmas for 45,763 children, working with charity partners to deliver over £1.2 m worth of gifts.

Set up in February 2020, Stepps Community Development Trust aims to achieve social, economic and environmental regeneration of Stepps and the surrounding area by upgrading its community facilities, maintaining outdoor spaces and creating a sports and leisure hub in the town, all while being a financially sustainable organisation.

• Glasgow city centre charity receives funding boost from Taylor Wimpey

As part of its ongoing commitment to working in partnership with local communities, Taylor Wimpey West Scotland’s staff charities committee has donated £500 to the Kindness Homeless Street Team, a community group which was created to help the homeless and less fortunate people within Glasgow and surrounding areas.

Prior to COVID19, Kindness Homeless Street Team (Kindness HST) Glasgow operated once per fortnight in the G1/G2 postcode. Since the start of the pandemic, the group has provided a daily hot food kitchen service within George Square in Glasgow. The group also provides essentials for those who find themselves on the street and for people who are facing financial hardship or vulnerability.

There are around 100 volunteers who are committed to providing this much needed service.

• Views sought on future of Lochside Leisure Centre 

Angus Council is seeking the public’s views on the future of the former Lochside Leisure Centre, and the land immediately around it in Forfar Loch Country Park, Craig O’Loch Road Forfar.

The council is asking the communities of Forfar and Angus, what they think the future use of the building and land should be. The land and the building belong to the people of Angus.

This initial consultation closes on 31 January 2021. A summary of the responses will be reported to the council, with the target date of 18 March 2021.

The council will be sharing Information Packs, consulting focus groups, contacting community groups, and conducting an online survey.

• Work to commence on replacement footbridge on Murieston Trail

Pedestrians walking along the Murieston Trail are advised of upcoming works to install a replacement footbridge which will lead to diversions in the area.

Work is set to commence from December 7 to replace a footbridge which is located to the north of Murieston Drive which carries the footpath over the Murieston Water.

The decision to replace the bridge comes following an inspection which found the timber elements (parapets and beams) on the existing bridge to be rotting in addition to corrosion of the main steel beams. 

Works to replace the bridge are expected to take around two weeks to complete with the new bridge anticipated to have a lifespan of approximately 60 years and will at least maintain the width of the existing bridge.

A diversion route will be in operation for pedestrians throughout the entirety of the works. Signage will be erected locally around the path network to indicate the designated diversion route and updated dates for the work to take place.

• Construction specialists invest £300,000 in product development

Aberdeenshire-based access specialists AquaTerra Group has invested £300,000 in the enhancement of a suite of inspection and repair tools in a move expected to open up new markets.

Conductor cleaning and repair tooling has been part of AquaTerra’s product portfolio since the addition of AquaCLAM® through the strategic acquisition of the trade and assets of Subsea Engineering and Technical Services (SETS) earlier in the year.

The investment follows the earlier news that AquaTerra Group, based in Kintore, has already invested in excess of £500,000 in the purchase of an innovative underdeck access system which offers a cost-effective alternative to scaffolding.

• Consultation on new Midlothian planning guidance

Midlothian Council is seeking views on new planning guidance for Mavisbank and Roslin Conservation Areas.

A public consultation on draft Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Plans for both areas is open until 15 February 2021. 

The plans are a non-statutory form of planning guidance. Their aim is to highlight the significance of a conservation area in terms of its built environment and history, and to provide a framework for managing change within the area. 

The Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Plans for Roslin and Mavisbank are available online.

Email your comments to conservation@midlothian.gov.uk by Monday 15 February 2021

• £1m for Pop-up Bus Priority Measures across Glasgow

Formal approval has been granted by Glasgow City Council accepting Bus Priority Rapid Deployment funding from Transport Scotland which will see the council implement a series of measures to give priority to buses at key points across Glasgow’s road network.

The pop-up bus lanes have been earmarked for several streets within the city including the city centre, and stretches of the Springburn Expressway and Paisley Road West. A feasibility study for bus priority measures on the city centre-bound Clydeside Expressway is also planned. In addition, traffic signal improvements to reduce delays and offer priority to buses are in scope for junctions where pop-up bus lanes are provided, including corridors within the city centre.

A reduction in bus journey times during the morning and evening rush hour is being targeted where measures are introduced, which will add to the reliability of services and particularly benefit those who need to use public transport whilst physical distancing remains a requirement. It is also hoped that the new infrastructure will support the bus industry by incentivising bus trips ahead of private car and in doing so help protect air quality.

• Consultation approved for Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan review

Members of the Highland Council’s Nairnshire committee have approved a report that will go out to public consultation in the new year marking the first stage of reviewing the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan.

This concludes approval sought by all relevant council area committees and the ‘Main Issues Report’ for the plan will now be prepared for a minimum eight-week public consultation when interested parties will be encouraged to have their say.

In light of Scottish Government COVID-19 advice, which is likely to limit face-to-face consultation events, the council is designing an easy to use online document to gather people’s views. The council will promote the consultation widely including sending out notifications to addresses across the area to alert people to the consultation and how they can comment.