Building Briefs – June 13th

West Lothian construction site gives Spanish students hands-on experience

Four Spanish students from Gran Canaria have successfully completed a work experience placement on a local West Lothian construction site in Kirkhill, Uphall, managed by leading provider of partnership housing Lovell.

The four visitors, Acoidan Sanchez Brescit, Dacil Diaz Herrera, Jesus Guillen Porto and Jos Antonio Monzon Suarez, were hosted on their two month placement by West Lothian College. Back home in Gran Canaria, the students, aged between 18 and 23, have been studying a basic construction course at Santa Lucia College in Las Palmas.

However, as part of their visit to Scotland, all four were specifically looking to expand their skills with some on-the-job painting and decorating experience.

Working at the Kirkhill site alongside Lovell sub-contractor Jamieson Decorators Ltd, they had an opportunity to try their hands at paint priming, taping and finishing.

Lovell marked the last day of the students’ two month placement by inviting their Gran Canaria lecturers to visit them at the Kirkhill site. Accompanied by Graham Clark, head of construction at West Lothian College, the visiting lecturers accompanied their students and Lovell training advisor, Kelly Harkness, on a tour of the site and were able to see first-hand examples of the students’ painting handiwork.

Ness Stewart, community engagement manager at Lovell in Scotland, said: “Developing the skills of young people in construction is very important to Lovell. It was great to be able to partner with West Lothian College and Santa Lucia College to give these four enthusiastic students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of working on our Kirkhill construction site. They all made a great contribution to the site team during their stay and I know enjoyed some valuable on-site experience in painting and decorating, working with Jamieson Decorators Ltd. On behalf of everyone at Lovell, we wish them the very best of luck for their continuing studies and for a long and fulfilling career in construction.”

Lumphinnans Care Village opens in Fife

The new Lumphinnans Care Village was officially opened today with Fife Council co-leaders, residents and tenants joining in the celebrations. The Care Village incorporates a 60 bed purpose built care home for older people, and 30 self-contained extra care flats within a managed complex.

It is the third to open in Fife as part of a programme to replace and improve care facilities for older people. Fife’s Care Villages have proved very successful in setting a new standard in care allowing integrated working between colleagues in Health and Social Care and Housing.

Specially designed and adapted houses extend the time people can live independently and the latest Care Home facilities will allow integrated models of care to be developed. Located alongside each other, staff are on hand to respond to residents and tenants and provide care appropriate to their needs.

Fife Day Services have relocated to Lindsay House and the extra care housing complex has drop in café facilities.”

Residents and tenants moved into the £10.5m Care Village earlier this year.

Lindsay House care home has 48 permanent beds and 12 Short Term Assessment and Review (STAR) beds which support and enable people to return home after a period in hospital or to prevent admission to hospital. Fife Health and Social Care Partnership provides day services within Lindsay House and the care home facilities include a cinema room for resident use and enclosed garden space with a Sensory Garden. The Extra Care Housing complex has two very sheltered housing officers onsite to provide housing advice and support to help tenants to live and remain independent.

Photo Caption1: L-R Cllr David Alexander Co-Leader Fife Council, Cllr Judy Hamilton Convener - Community & Housing Services Committee, Mr James Oliver oldest resident aged 99, Cllr David Graham Health and Social Care Spokesperson, Cllr David Ross Co-Leader Fife Council.

Councillor unveils latest Eildon development at Kelso

Councillor Mark Rowley, Scottish Borders Council’s Executive Member for Business and Economic Development, has cut the ribbon to mark the official opening of Eildon Housing Association’s latest development at Roxburgh and Union Street in Kelso.

The new development, which recently received a Commendation at the Scottish Home Awards, marks yet another successful phase of Eildon’s development programme which has been moving apace, with a record-breaking investment in new affordable homes for the Borders.

The scheme, which has been built to Silver Standards and Housing for Varying Needs Part 1, comprises a total of 18 flats, one in a block of 6 flats at Union Street and a further 12 flats at Roxburgh Street. Thirteen of the flats are 2-bed and five provide 1-bed accommodation. The total cost of the scheme was £2,364,557 including a grant of £1,169,091 provided by the Scottish Government.

Councillor Rowley said: “I am delighted that Eildon Housing has developed these high quality homes for rent on what was a long-standing gap site in Kelso conservation area.”

“The construction of new affordable homes in the Scottish Borders helps to sustain and create jobs in the building industry and also enables local people to stay in the area, which benefits the local economy.”

Forfar site identified for early learning and childcare centre

The site of the former Forfar Academy in Taylor Street has been confirmed as the location for a new purpose-built early learning and childcare centre.

Approval for where the centre will be situated was given by elected members at a recent meeting with early years and estates officers, prior to the overall approval for a procurement authority report that will see two new centres built – one in Forfar, the other in Carnoustie.

The Carnoustie development will be built at Pitskelly Park and will provide for up to 205 children. The Taylor Street centre will accommodate up to 155 children.

Both centres are being delivered via £5.2million of Scottish Government funding and represent the biggest individual construction projects being undertaken as part of our Early Years Expansion Programme. They are complemented by development and refurbishment work being undertaken at other primary schools and nurseries in Angus.

The centres represent an investment in our children’s future. They will be created as a part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to expand the funded early learning and childcare entitlement for all three and four-year-olds, and eligible two-year-olds, from 600 hours to 1140 hours per year by August 2020.

The project will go out to tender to construction firms this summer. It is anticipated that the Carnoustie centre will be completed by late 2019, with the Forfar campus opening by mid-2020.

Cruden Building lends support to bring classroom learning outdoors

Construction company Cruden Building has donated £1,250 to Ibrox Primary and Nursery School to create an outdoor learning space for the children and to improve their shared playground space.

The school is on the doorstep of 152 new affordable homes being built at Hinshelwood Drive in Ibrox by Cruden for Glasgow Housing Association (GHA), part of Wheatley Group.

The donation, which will allow the children to get closer to nature and enjoy the outdoors, comes as part of the Community Benefits clause that Wheatley asks of its contractors.

The clause ensures that developments have a positive impact in the local area by creating jobs and training opportunities and improving the lives of people in the area.

Ibrox Primary has no grass outside and only concrete for the children to play on.

Thanks to Cruden’s donation the playground will be transformed into an amazing learning space where pupils can learn outdoors and engage with nature.

Phase one of the project has already been completed, thanks to help from donations and school fundraising activities.

Together with the cheque presentation, Cruden Building will also supply spare building materials to further enhance the outdoor learning experience. The school and nursery also plans to use the donation to fund the building of a mud kitchen and install picnic benches and other seating for the children to use these for eating lunch outside in the good weather.

Wheatley Group’s Community Benefits clause has also created two new jobs and three new apprenticeship places on the Hinshelwood Drive site.

Gordon Lee, Director of Cruden Building said: “At Cruden Building, we are committed to supporting good causes in the local areas that we work in. We’re delighted to support this school project in partnership with the GHA and we hope the children have many years of fun and learning outdoors in this new play area.”