Building Briefs - June 1st

  • Scottish farm village develops new adventure park attraction

A family-run Scottish farm village is set to open a new adventure farm park and café in June, thanks to a £500,000 funding package from Bank of Scotland.

Building Briefs - June 1st

Craigie’s Farm in Queensferry is home to a deli café, shop and farm park, and is run by John Sinclair and his family, who took over the operation from his parents in 1995.



The new Little Farmers adventure farm park will house a timber play park for children and a new café seating 150 people.

The 1200m² development doubles the current size of the park, and now features a newly revamped animal shed with six pens of animals for visitors to meet.

To support the development, the business approached Bank of Scotland and received a £500,000 funding package and a £65,000 Clean Growth Funding Initiative (CGFI) loan to acquire a 120kW ground source heat pump and a 50kW solar installation which will help reduce the business’ carbon footprint.

The Clean Growth Funding Initiative offers discounted lending for green purposes to help businesses reduce their environmental impact.



The new attraction is now set to open on June 8 and the business will be looking to hire 10 new members of staff after all current staff have been brought back from furlough.

 

  • Dandara makes donation to Kirkliston Gala

Kirkliston Children’s Gala is welcoming a donation over the next two years from local housebuilder Dandara, the developer behind the new homes at Foxhall Gait in the town.



Building Briefs - June 1st

Sofia and Oliver alongside Dandara East Scotland MD Iain Innes and Kirkliston Gala president Stephanie Wilson

The donation will be used to help ensure that this year’s Gala goes ahead following a post-pandemic financial struggle, which has afflicted many small community organised events.

Due to Dandara’s new development, Foxhall Gait, launching in Kirkliston this summer, the developer was pleased to be able to support the community event.

Kirkliston first hosted its Gala Day in 1928 and the hard-working team of volunteers were keen to ensure that the pandemic would not halt this year’s plans.  It has traditionally been foregrounded by a week of different fun events and activities known as ‘Civic Week’ before a large concluding Gala day at the end of the week which involves a crowning ceremony with local school pupils being given various ‘court’ roles including Gala Queen and Herald.  



Although last year’s Gala was very scaled back due to pandemic restrictions, a fuller rehearsal list and preparations are in place for its return this year on Saturday 26th June.

Housebuilder Dandara East Scotland, was pleased to provide some much-needed support to help ensure that Kirkliston Gala continues as an integral community event despite post pandemic conditions. Its involvement in the community has been active thanks to their new housing development Foxhall Gait, which will see the opening of new family homes in Kirkliston this summer

 

  • Consultation launched for Peebles Community Campus

community consultation on plans for a new Community Campus in Peebles has been launched.



The online consultation offers the opportunity for the wider community to provide their views on the plans for the new Campus which will replace the fire-damaged High School.

The proposals outline the plans for a transformational new campus building to be built over two storeys on the grounds of the existing school. Members of the public will to view in detail plans for the site layout of the new building and the external designs for the campus.

Included in the plans are the provision of a 3G sports pitch to complement the existing 2G pitch and existing sports block built in 2013/14 as well as the creation of various multi-purpose community spaces.

A full-rebuild option was taken forward by Scottish Borders Council following a feasibility study conducted in December 2020 examining the benefits of a full new-build of the school as opposed to a part-rebuild of the facilities.



The preferred option was shown to significantly reduce the overall construction time of the project and minimise potential disruption to young learners throughout the process.

The consultation will run for a period of 12 weeks, after which a summary report examining the feedback will be produced as part of a full planning application.

A timeline of 24 months has been outlined for the initial construction of the new school building.

 



  • New Clackmannanshire wellbeing hub plans move forward

Plans to bring a first class wellbeing hub with leisure facilities to Clackmannanshire were discussed at a Special Council meeting yesterday.   

Officers shared progress on the plans, which were first approved in March when Clackmannanshire Council’s Budget 2021/22 was agreed.

Councillors heard that despite continuing to work through a pandemic, the council is committed to ensuring the wellbeing hub is a top priority for the area.  



The council has already carried out a public consultation exercise focusing on gathering the views of Clackmannanshire residents so that they help shape the type of leisure and wellbeing provision that will benefit everyone in the area. 

Ongoing engagement with residents, groups and clubs will continue until the project is complete and will inform every stage of the process.

The first phase of this included an online survey to which over 1200 individuals and groups responded. This was enhanced by specific focus groups to reach others who may not have responded to an online engagement opportunity. 

 

  • Spaces for People measures to be introduced in Giffnock

East Renfrewshire Council will be trialling temporary changes on Davieland Road, Giffnock, to make it easier and safer for people to move around.

Initial changes will see adjustments to the road layout, including the formation of a temporary pavement between the Boathouse entrance to Rouken Glen Park and Rouken Glen Road.

 

  • Saint-Gobain colleagues recycle old laptops and phones to support community and reduce waste

Old smartphones have been given a new lease of life, preventing electrical waste going to landfill and helping people to connect with their loved ones.

Saint-Gobain colleagues have been donating their old, unused company and personal smartphones to Community Calling, a campaign run by environmental charity Hubbub, supported by mobile phone operator O2.

Community Calling aims to support seven million people in the UK who do not have internet access while aiming to tackle the environmental impact of electronic waste.

Colleagues have also been upcycling old laptops and ensuring any components that cannot be re-used or upcycled are disposed of responsibly, following the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive.

This commitment to the environment and community is part of Saint-Gobain’s ambition to Make the World a Better Home, to be net zero carbon by 2050 and meet interim 2030 targets validated by the Science Based Initiative. Roadmaps are being developed by each of the UK and Ireland businesses to achieve this goal.

 

  • Half a million investment for green spaces, sports facilities and play parks in Renfrewshire

More than £520,000 is to be invested into community projects from Renfrewshire Council’s Green Spaces, Parks and Play Areas and Villages Investment Fund.

The £1.87million fund is open to community groups from across Renfrewshire to submit ideas for local improvements and we will work with you to complete your application - with more than £700,000 already awarded to 32 projects.

Councillors have now approved a further 10 projects worth £522,466 which will include upgraded tennis courts and a brand-new Multi-use Games Area (MUGA) in Langbank, a new outdoor gym in Ferguslie Park Gardens and a brand-new community park in Spateston.

For more information on the fund, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/GreenSpacesFund.

 

  • Council opens ‘fantastic’ new playpark in Peebles

A new £300k destination playpark has opened in Peebles.

The striking facility in Victoria Park is part of Scottish Borders Council’s £4.8m playparks and outdoor community spaces programme.

The park was designed and constructed by Wicksteed Leisure Ltd, who also built facilities for SBC at Hawick, Harestanes, Coldstream and Kelso in recent years.

There are 45 elements to the playpark for kids ranging in age between 3-14, of which 15 are ‘all-inclusive play’ for children of all abilities.

The main feature is a bespoke multi-play Galleon ship. It also includes a small BMX track for youngsters and ball walls to retain a kickabout area that was there before.

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