Building Briefs – February 15th

Almond Housing Association Limited (AHA), working in partnership with Inveralmond Community High School, has built a careers event around the housing trade.

Building Briefs – February 15th

(left to right): Neil Webster, Business Development Manager at Everwarm; Stewart Fisher, Capital Projects Surveyor at AlmondHA; Martin Morrison, Director at Response; Barbara Boertien from AlmondHA; Housing Officer Amanda Gregory from AlmondHA; John McLeish, Operations Manager at Response; Sandy Higgins from Inveralmond CHS; and Tom Cavanagh, Business Development Manager, Sidey Solutions Ltd

Housing Officers and other staff from AHA, a registered charity and social landlord based in Livingston, were on hand to talk to young people about career options in the housing sector.

They also brought along contractors in building/construction who work with AHA, to highlight opportunities and pathways to roles within their companies.



These were:

  • Everwarm: providers of heating and insulation
  • Sidey Solutions Ltd: manufacturers, suppliers and installers of windows and doors
  • Response Building Maintenance Services: including electricals, plumbing and joinery

More than 150 students attended the event at Inveralmond CHS last Thursday (Feb 14) from 11am until 1pm, with pupils aged 14 and over invited to pop along and talk to the many tradespeople.

AHA’s Community Engagement Officer Barbara Boertien said: “The aim was to inform and inspire young people who might be considering their career options and how to progress their studies.



“We were able to advise on the different routes into the industry, for those who might be interested in the housing sector – and show them how to connect their studies and passions to a career pathway.”

Sandy Higgins, business education teacher and business links co-ordinator at Inveralmond, said: “My role is to build links with business to support young people in the transition from school into the world of work.

“I am grateful to Almond Housing Association for informing our pupils about the type of skills businesses are actively seeking.”

 



  • Revised 300 Aberdeen council homes plan backed by planners

Plans to build nearly 300 council homes in an Aberdeen suburb have been recommended for approval.

The plans have previously bee met with strong criticism since being submitted by First Endeavour LLP.

They outline a development comprising 283 flats at Wellheads Road in Dyce in four five-storey blocks.



However, nearly 300 letters of objection have been received by the authority’s planning officials, and a public hearing was convened last August.

The objections centred around the potential noise from the nearby airport, the scale of the development, a lack of local amenities, the height of the buildings and potential traffic congestion.

But First Endeavour countered by arguing that the scheme would provide much-needed council housing in the area, potentially attracting workers such as teachers and nurses to the city.

The developer has since enacted a number of alterations in the application since the last year’s public hearing, including reducing the flats from 302 to 293 and reducing the number of blocks from five to four.



There has also been an increase in the number of one bedroom flats and parking spaces, while the height of the buildings will all now be five storeys.

Council planners have recommended the planning committee approves the scheme when they meet on Thursday.

A report reads: “The provision of affordable homes is welcomed and would contribute towards the council’s aim of providing more affordable homes as identified in the strategic business plan.

“The mix of units has been shaped by the requirements of the council housing waiting list, with specific focus on families.



“Internal noise limits can be achieved, as a result of significant mitigation measures and when measured with windows closed (albeit external noise is generally at the very limit of acceptability). Acceptable external noise levels can be achieved in many of the amenity areas, although significant sections would not.”

 

  • Improvements suggested for Title Conditions Bill

A planned new piece of Scottish land law could be made more user-friendly, the Faculty of Advocates has suggested.



The Scottish Law Commission (SLC) has produced a draft bill following a consultation last year on improving the much-criticised Section 53 of the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003.

The act deals with real burdens – obligations affecting land, such as maintaining a boundary wall or not carrying out any further building – and Section 53 covers a “common scheme” of burdens affecting “related properties”.

However, it does not define “common scheme” and says whether properties are related is to be “inferred from all the circumstances”. Its uncertainty has prompted significant criticism.

The commission sought views on its draft Title Conditions (Scotland) Bill.



The Faculty said in a response that its comments about aspects of the bill were in the interests of making the legislation accessible and user-friendly.

One suggestion was directed at a section of the bill which leaves to ministers’ discretion the duration of the period in which preservation notices may be served.

“We suggest consideration be given to specifying the period, or at least a minimum period, in the Act itself. That will make it easier for owners interested in preserving their rights to ascertain when, and how quickly, they must act. It is unsatisfactory for this information to be buried in statutory instruments,” said the Faculty.

Concern was also expressed about the bill’s definition of “common scheme” which, the Faculty believed, was incomplete and could allow randomly similar burdens to qualify as a common scheme.

“We accept (as the SLC note) that the additional requirement for the properties to be ‘related’ will delimit enforcement rights to appropriate cases. We are, nonetheless, concerned by the use of an admittedly incomplete definition. It could give rise to unintended consequences,” stated the Faculty.

 

  • NFB welcomes strategic housing investment

UK Communities Secretary James Brokenshire has announced £250 million for housing deals, which includes £157 million for infrastructure funding for roads and green spaces.

The money will help deliver a range of projects across the UK, including 10,000 homes on 7 Ministry of Defence sites and more than 1,500 homes at the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park.

The Government expects that the infrastructure investment, use of public land and targeted loans will help them build almost 25,000 more homes than the 222,000 that were built in 2017/2018.

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) said it commends the Government on investing directly in land, infrastructure and housing to unlock homes, but warns that many of the sites will remain locked unless it takes more serious steps toward planning reform.

Many of the sites will require further strong leadership from Homes England, who have been more easily circumventing the planning and financial barriers that non-government partnered developers experience.

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said: “We need to build 100,000 more homes every year and this means better road networks and more recreational spaces. This direct and strategic housing investment is very welcome.”

Rico Wojtulewicz, head of housing and planning policy at the House Builders Association, said: “At the heart of the broken housing market is the broken planning process. The Government must fix the barriers non-government partners face because we cannot fix the housing crisis with big and public sector builders getting the easier ride. Planning reform has to benefit the whole industry.”

 

  • Fencing worth £5,000 stolen in Aberdeenshire

Police in Aberdeenshire have appealed for help from the public after thieves made off with £5,000 worth of fencing from an Aberdeenshire farm.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a “substantial amount” of fencing went missing from Millden Farm, near Balmedie.

It is believed to have been stolen between Sunday February 3 and Tuesday February 5.

The aluminium fencing was in separate sections, with each about 3ft high and 10ft long.

Detective Constable Kate Coyle said: “The farm the fencing was stolen from is located adjacent to the A90 Aberdeen to Peterhead road and, given the size of the panels, it is likely a vehicle would have been used.

“We are appealing for anyone who saw anything unusual or suspicious in the area around the time this happened to get in touch with us on 101.”

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