Building Briefs – May 1st

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost joined characters from the Real Mary King’s Close earlier this week to celebrate the start of redevelopment works at the star attraction.

The attraction, which receives over 200,000 visitors each year, is housed underneath the City of Edinburgh Council’s historic City Chambers.

The £500k development works are due to be completed by June this year, and mark a new phase in the Close’s history that is set to significantly enhance the visitor experience both above and below ground.

The attraction will face on to the Royal Mile when works are completed, rather than remain set back from the High Street.

The investment includes the reinstatement of original doorways on the Royal Mile, a new welcome area and exhibition space, enhanced tour experience and a Scottish Café featuring the best locally sourced produce. The attraction will face on to the Royal Mile when works are completed, rather than remain set back from the High Street.

Hardies plan Dalkeith Corn Exchange move

Having recently been appointed an equity partner after seventeen years as a partner, Keith Gifford of Hardies Property & Construction Consultants in Dalkeith is busy planning his team’s move to new premises later in the year. Keith is engaged in all aspects of property in the Lothians including the preparation of Home Reports.

The firm, presently based at South Street, Dalkeith, is relocating to the historic Grade A listed Dalkeith Corn Exchange, which is currently being redeveloped by Melville Housing Association.

Over £1.5m granted for West Lothian village improvement fund

West Lothian Council has approved £1.65 million to the council’s Village Improvement Fund.

Harburn will receive £20,000 to carry out improvement works at the village hall.

Over £4,000 will be given to Blackridge Community Council to undertake landscaping work around the train station, with Blackridge’s Craig Inn Management Committee also receiving over £2,000 to refurbish a meeting room in the community centre.

The fund aims to support small scale village improvements and investment, which can be both physical improvements to the streetscape and capital investment in community provision.

Facility upgrades complete in Milngavie

East Dunbartonshire Council has announced the completion of facility upgrades in Milngavie.

Public convenience work has finished within the Tourist Information Centre at Douglas Street.

M8: Eastbound Southbar between junctions 30 and 29 set for £112k improvement

Scotland TranServ, on behalf of Transport Scotland, is set to carry out £112k of improvement works to the eastbound M8 at Southbar.

The resurfacing works will take place overnight from Friday 8 May until Monday 10 May 2015. Due to the nature of the works a full closure of the eastbound carriageway of the M8 at Southbar will be in operation from 8pm until 6am each evening.

Views sought on transport improvements between Fraserburgh and Peterhead to Aberdeen

A study considering options for improving transport connections between Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Aberdeen is seeking public input to understand the problems faced by users of the corridor.

Nestrans, along with Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Transport Scotland have appointed a collaboration of three companies, SIAS, Peter Brett Associates and Energised Environments, to look at all modes of transport including rail, bus, road and active travel connections.

The research comes as part of a commitment from the Nestrans Regional Transport Strategy re-fresh, published in January 2014, and also includes consideration of the costs and benefits of re-opening the Formartine & Buchan railway line. The area covered looks at the 50 mile stretch from Peterhead and Fraserburgh to Aberdeen and Dyce, incorporating the Energetica corridor.

Undertaken in line with Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG), the study will include consultation with stakeholders, businesses and communities; development and consideration of the objectives for the corridor; and consideration of options across all modes for achieving the objectives set.

As part of this, the public are being asked for their views via an online questionnaire on how the transport network could be improved to support local people by improving strategic connectivity for employment, leisure, health and social purposes.