Building Briefs – March 14th

• Community given first glimpse of Clynelish Distillery transformation

The Highland distillery is scheduled to undergo a major transformation as part of a £150 million investment in Scotch whisky tourism by distilling company Diageo.

Local residents and community representatives attended an event at Clynelish Distillery on Tuesday at which an overview of the plans was shared.

The plans include a comprehensive upgrade of the distillery visitor experience with a new upper floor to tell the Clynelish story, as well as a new bar and tasting area offering amazing views of the Sutherland coast. The area surrounding the distillery will also benefit from enhanced landscaping.

As part of the plan, Clynelish will become the Highland home of Johnnie Walker, thematically linked to a new Johnnie Walker global visitor attraction in Edinburgh that will be the centrepiece of the tourism investment programme.

The planning application for Clynelish Distillery is expected to be submitted to the Highland Council this month and, subject to successful planning permission, work should commence later this year.

• New Cube homes are toast of Dumbarton community

Cube Housing Association has completed a £5 million development of 31 new homes and a local shop to bring an empty site in Dumbarton back to life.

For years residents in the Castlehill area wanted to see new life breathed into a site in Carrick Terrace where the tenement homes had become unpopular and all but one of the shops in a row were lying empty.

The tenements were demolished in 2013 with the site lying derelict until Cube Housing Association, in partnership with West Dunbartonshire Council, brought forward plans to build new affordable homes.

This week, Councillor Diane Docherty, housing convener at West Dunbartonshire Council, marked the official opening of the development, and heard how tenants were delighted with their modern new homes – and their community shop.

Tenant Irene Krsmanovic, originally from Barrhead, moved in recently to her three-bed house

The energy-efficient homes, all two-storey, are a mix of one and two-bedroom cottage flats and two and three-bedroom houses. Each has its own garden and three are built for people with disabilities.

Cube, which is part of Wheatley Group, has so far built 138 homes for social rent in West Dunbartonshire as part of its partnership with the council. It is currently building 133 more and has plans for a further 80. The homes on the Carrick Terrace site are the first to be built by Cube in Dumbarton.

Gordon Lee, partnering and procurement director for Cruden Building, said: “We were pleased to work in partnership with Cube and West Dunbartonshire Council to transform the Carrick Terrace site.

“We take great pride in building communities and giving back to the local area. With this project, we provided two modern apprenticeships, alongside work placements and training opportunities as well as donations to community groups.”

The development was part funded by grant from the Scottish Government.

• Improvement works on Ness Islands completed

The final phase of work to improve the Ness Islands footpaths in Inverness has been completed, creating better access for anyone coming to enjoy this scenic part of the city. 

The improvements involved the restructure and repair of paths leading up to the bridges and improving access by reducing and resurfacing the inclines as well as the creation of a new low level loop path suitable for anyone enjoying a circular walk but not crossing the River Ness at the Silver Wells Bridge. A new retaining barrier to prevent cyclists overshooting the raised path has also been installed. 

The work was carried out by Brandon Landscaping and complements the works on the bridges, tree maintenance, pathways and preventing bank erosion that has taken place in stages over the last two years.  This has included a full survey of all the trees followed by pruning and removal of branches by a tree surgeon, measures put in place to address erosion of the banks, the replacement of decking boards and the cleaning and painting of the main bridges. 

Funding for the improvements has come from the Inverness Common Good fund.

• Govanhill Housing Association founder honoured at landmark development

Minister for local government, housing and planning, Kevin Stewart MSP, joined other local elected representatives to open Govanhill Housing Association’s new social housing development.

During the ceremony a plaque was unveiled dedicating the new homes to the memory of Ann Scott, a founder member of the Association, who passed away in November having given more than 40 years of voluntary service on the management committee.

The development was completed by Cruden Building with environmental sustainability in mind.

Allan Callahan, managing director at Cruden, said: “Cruden Building is delighted to have worked with Govanhill Housing Association and the Design Team on this challenging and technically advanced project which has delivered a superb quality building and more importantly high quality, very energy efficient and comfortable homes for the residents.

“The completed building is a testament to the continued drive and determination of Govanhill Housing Association, their officers, Committee and members to continue the successful regeneration of Govanhill.”

• Aberdeen to consult on next development plan

People are being given a chance to make their voice heard in a report which will help shape the next local development plan for Aberdeen.

The Main Issues Report has identified the main issues for what will be considered in the proposed 2022 Aberdeen Local Development Plan.

There are 12 main issues identified in the report and the public are being asked to comment on each of them. The 12 main issues are: living in the city centre; a 24-hour city; visitor attractions; minimum internal space standards for residential developments; electric vehicle charging infrastructure; low and zero carbon generating opportunities and water efficiency; heat networks; west end office area; housing for the elderly and accessible housing; residential care facilities; student accommodation; and houses in multiple occupation.

The Main Issues Report will help shape the proposed Aberdeen Local Development Plan, which in turn will be available for public consultation next year.

People are invited to view the Main Issues Report and comment on it via the ACC website, or come along to drop-in sessions at venues around the city. The consultation into the report closes on 13 May 2019.

• RSHA provides affordable housing boost for tenants in rural town

The latest new homes in a significant development programme by Rural Stirling Housing Association (RSHA) have been handed over to tenants. 

Local MSP Bruce Crawford officiated at a ceremony celebrating the opening of the 23 new-build flats - the first new social housing for rent to be constructed by the Association in Callander for over ten years.

The £2.7 million Station Road development, on the site of the former post office and telephone exchange, comprises 23 one and two bed flats for affordable rent and brings the total number of homes owned by the Association in the town to 155.

Association chief executive Donna Birrell said more homes for the Trossachs town are potentially in the pipeline.

Completed by Marshall Construction, the development was funded with a £1,781,918 Scottish Government Housing Grant and £976,113 from the Housing Association’s private finance.

Gareth Bland, development & bid manager at Marshall Construction, said: “We’re delighted with this completed project which not only demonstrates our capabilities in new build projects but ensures there are wider benefits for residents within the communities that we work. We have been delivering developments like this for several years and are well-versed in the need to offer value for money without compromising on quality.

“We are currently working on several other affordable housing projects in Scotland and we aim to develop our portfolio for delivering high quality affordable homes in partnership with housing associations.”

• Shepherd named Surveyor of the Year and most active agent in Scotland’s retail and investment sectors

Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has been named Surveyor of the Year at The Scottish Mortgage Awards.

The awards recognise the best Scotland has to offer covering various sectors with lenders, brokers and surveyors all receiving awards.

Judged by independent experts, the awards reflect the broad make-up of the property market in Scotland. Nominations were submitted by industry professionals and checked by Mortgage Introducer.

And Shepherd has been named the most active agent in Scotland’s retail and investment sectors.

The EG Deals Competition 2018, which analyses the UK’s most active agents 2018 by region, reveals that Shepherd Commercial has maintained its traditional lead in retail and risen to the top spot in the investment sector in Scotland.