Building Briefs – May 10th

• £30m Scottish Water project to improve service for more than 54,000 people

The utility will do so by changing the source of their water supply from Burncrooks Water Treatment Works (WTW) in west Stirlingshire to Milngavie WTW in East Dunbartonshire.

A £30 million project will involve the installation of about 8 miles (13km) of new water main, the transfer of supply from Burncrooks WTW to Milngavie WTW and the decommissioning of Burncrooks WTW.   

Burncrooks WTW in the Kilpatrick Hills near Strathblane, which was built in the late 1950s, has served the area well but is reaching the end of its working life and is not suitable in the long-term to meet stringent water quality standards.

Milngavie WTW, which was opened in 2007, is a state-of-the art WTW which already serves about 700,0000 across much of the Greater Glasgow area.

The investment in Scottish Water’s infrastructure will ensure customers in the north of Bearsden, parts of the west of Milngavie on higher elevations such as Mains Estate, Barloch, and Clober, parts of Strathblane and Blanefield, Faifley, and a large part of Clydebank (apart from areas such as Kilbowie, Whitecrook and Mountblow which are already served from Milngavie and Blairlinnans WTWs), receive the highest quality drinking water for many years to come.

The investment will also enable Scottish Water to supply customers with water from more than one WTW, Milngavie or Balmore WTW near Torrance, and that increased connectivity will provide improved resilience and reduce the risk of disruption to normal water supplies.

The work will be carried out for Scottish Water by its alliance partners Caledonia Water Alliance (CWA) and is expected to be completed in about two years.

• New homes mark completion of £70m transformation of Hyvots

Residents in an Edinburgh community celebrated the opening of 24 new homes which signalled the final chapter in a £70 million regeneration project.

The new affordable homes, built by Dunedin Canmore, mark the completion of a transformation in Moredun and Hyvots in the south of the city which began back in 2000.

The regeneration plan started back in 2000 when subsidence led to hundreds of homes being lost. The City of Edinburgh Council began developing a strategy for the area bringing residents on board to help shape the plans.

A ballot in 2003 saw Dunedin Canmore appointed lead developer for the project after local residents voted for the housing association to take the reins. The project was granted funding in 2003 by the then Scottish Executive and the housing stock was handed over from the council to Dunedin Canmore in 2005.

As well as refurbishing over 370 existing homes, a total of 446 new homes have been built and new green spaces created. The mix of homes includes large four-bed family homes, one and two-bedroom flats and The Quarries, an amenity housing complex for older people with its own courtyard garden and outdoor gym.

The 446 new homes were built with the help of £40m of grant from the council. The latest block of 24 flats in Hyvots, all for social rent, were part funded by a £1.3m grant.

The seven phases were all built by contractors Hart Builders. During the work Hart Builders took on 27 apprentices.

• Keepmoat shortlisted for four awards

The Scottish division of partnership homebuilder, Keepmoat Homes, has been shortlisted for four awards at the upcoming 12th Annual Scottish Home Awards.

The homebuilder which has its Scottish office in Glasgow has been shortlisted in the ‘Affordable Housing Development of the Year’ category for it’s Orchard development in Glasgow, as well as in the categories of ‘Housebuilder of the Year’, ‘Housing Regeneration Project of the Year’, and ‘Starter Home of the Year’.

The independent awards programme, which was founded in 2007, is judged by a panel of experts drawn from across the sector and aims to bring together industry experience with market knowledge and recognise the greatest achievements in new build housing across Scotland.

Beth McNeil, Regional Managing Director of Keepmoat Homes in Scotland commented on the shortlisting:

“To have been shortlisted for four Scottish Home Awards is a fantastic achievement for the whole of our business. It is a testament to the continued hard work and dedication of the team here in Scotland that we are in not one but four award categories. I’m delighted in particular by the recognition of our Balmoral house type on our Abbotsway development in Paisley in the category of ‘Starter Home of the Year’. As a developer we pride ourselves on supporting our customers on their home buying journey and particularly helping first time buyers to get on the property ladder.

“I look forward to seeing colleagues from across the sector at the award ceremony and celebrating the success of our industry together.”

Keepmoat Homes Scottish team will find out if it is successful when the winners are announced during a ceremony on 13 June at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Glasgow.

• Dundee welcomes £2.4m social housing boost

A funding boost that will help build more social housing in Dundee has been welcomed by a local councillor.

Kevin Cordell, convener of Dundee City Council’s neighbourhood services committee, said that the extra £2.4 million from the Scottish Government will support the programme to create 1000 more homes in four years.

He said: “This brings the money we will be able to invest in social housing in Dundee up to £37.3m over the next two years and means that we can build 30 to 40 more homes for people who need them.

“Along with our Registered Social Landlord partners we’ll continue with our programme of strategic housing investment to deliver affordable new homes in areas that people want to live in.”