Building Briefs - July 1st

  • Mears awarded RoSPA Order of Distinction

For the 19th consecutive year, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), has awarded Mears Group the RoSPA Order of Distinction, Gold Award, for its commitment to continuous improvement to health and safety performance.

Building Briefs - July 1st

Mears received this internationally recognised health and safety award for its health and safety performance during the period January 01st, 2020, to December 31st, 2020.



Organisations receiving a RoSPA Award are recognised as being world leaders in health and safety practices. Every year, nearly 2,000 entrants vie to achieve the highest possible accolade in what is the UK’s longest-running H&S industry awards.

The awards will be presented virtually at the Awards Ceremony held on Thursday, September 9, 2021.

 

  • Public consultation on A9 North Kessock to Tore options

A public consultation has opened to seek views on options to improve road safety on the A9 between the north of Kessock Junction and the Tore roundabout.



This consultation is part of an ongoing process of stakeholder engagement that has been underway since autumn 2020, despite COVID-19 restrictions. With input from stakeholders and road safety engineers, a range of potential options for this section of the A9 has been developed and assessed. These range from shorter term and easier improvements to the more complex and longer term investments requiring further planning and design.

The consultation exercise is primarily digital to ensure everyone has the opportunity to look at and consider each option in detail and contribute quickly and easily online. People are able to access the consultation through the Scottish Government’s Citizen Space and on the Transport Scotland website. An alternative for those choosing to engage offline will also be made available by contacting WSP, Transport Scotland’s consultant, on 0141 418 7309 or by e-mail: A9-North-Kessock-to-Tore-Study@wsp.com.

The consultation is open until August 27 and is available on Citizen Space.

 



  • Enabling works to start at Horsley Brae

Key enabling work will be carried out at the A71 Horsley Brae this summer, as part of the planned junction improvement project.

An old water main and overhead telecom cable on the western side of Horsley Brae will be replaced and relocated

After this work has been completed, a new sheet pile retaining wall will be constructed on the western side of the road. The wall will provide a permanent repair at the location of a landslip last year and remove the risk of further landslips and damage to the A71 in future. Amey Public Services will carry out the construction work, starting on 5 July 2021, for approximately 20 weeks.



These enabling works are key elements of the overall A71 Horsley Brae Junction Improvement project which is being delivered by North Lanarkshire Council in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).

The junction improvement project involves signalised traffic control at the junction of Horsley Brae and Brownlee Road; a signalised pedestrian crossing; improved footpath connections to regional walking routes (Clyde Walkway), garden centre and the surrounding area; and new street lighting.

When complete, the project will help to improve traffic flow and road safety at this strategic junction. The junction improvement work is anticipated to start on site in spring 2022.

 



  • Extended operations approved for Markle Quarry

East Lothian Council has approved an application from D Geddes Ltd to extend operations at Markle Quarry for an extra 14 years.

Committee heard that the site, between Haddington and East Linton, had been a quarry since 1979, first operated by Lothian Regional Council. Operations ceased in 1984 and were recommenced by Geddes in 1996. Current planning permission states that the mining operations will cease in October 2028 and that site restoration shall be completed by October 2029.

Committee members considered extending the life of the quarry for a further 14 years, up to October 2042. There will be no extension of the area or depth of the quarry and current conditions will remain in place.



After discussion, including that a request will be made to Geddes to carry out extra tree planting agreed in the current conditions as soon as possible and using wool tree protection guards instead of plastic, in line with the council’s Climate Change Agenda, councillors unanimously agreed to approve the application.

 

  • Consultation gets underway on proposals for Common Good Land in Falkirk

Falkirk Council has launched a public consultation on proposals for the demolition and sale of land and buildings at West Bridge Street.



The site and the buildings (Municipal Buildings and Falkirk Town Hall) form part of the Common Good of the former Burgh of Falkirk.

Opening today, the eight-week consultation is seeking views on the proposals before any decision can be made regarding the disposal or change of use of the land and buildings.

For more information on Common Good Land read Part 8 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.

Consultation closes on Friday, 27 August 2021.



 

  • Heritage award plaque unveiled at Stirling station

Representatives from the National Railway Heritage Awards (NRHA) were at Stirling station today (Wednesday, June 30) to present an award to Network Rail, Story Contracting and Transport Scotland for their work to refurbish the footbridge and install the lift.

Building Briefs - July 1st

(from left) Alastair Macfarlane from Network Rail, John Macarthur, MD Story Scotland and Theo Steel, chair NRHA

The NRHA accolade was awarded to the Stirling station project team in a virtual ceremony in December 2020 but, due to coronavirus restrictions, the presentation of the award plaque has only now taken place.

In the £4m investment, the station’s original 28-tonne historic lattice footbridge was carefully removed in August 2018 and underwent significant refurbishment before being reinstalled in May 2019, along with a new lift to create step-free access to all platforms.

The enhancement was part of the wider project to electrify the Stirling-Dunblane-Alloa route as part of a Scottish Government-funded investment delivered by Network Rail.

The NRHA awards are dedicated to encouraging and rewarding best practice in the restoration and continued upkeep of railway and tramway buildings and structures. Stirling Station footbridge was presented in the ‘London Underground Operational Enhancement Award’ category.

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