Building Briefs – May 3rd

Waid Academy headteacher Iain Hughes has been officially handed the keys to the new £21.5 million Waid Community Campus in Fife.

At an official ceremony, attended by representatives of all the services the new campus will offer, Ian Rodger, site manager, passed over official ownership of the building to Fife Council.

Waid is one of six secondary schools and two primaries which make up Fife Council’s £250m+ Building Fife’s Future Programme. It is one of a new breed of community buildings which bring a number of services under one roof – with the new Waid taking the concept one step further.

The project has been delivered for Fife Council by hub East Central Scotland in partnership with BAM Construction.

Breedon buys Pro Mini Mix

Construction materials group Breedon has moved to acquire an English mini-mix concrete operator.

Pro Mini Mix operates a fleet of eight mixer trucks and specialises in delivering small loads of ready-mixed concrete and screeds, up to four cubic metres, to commercial and domestic customers.

Breedon Southern already operates a successful mini mix business, 1stMix, which has a strong presence throughout the East Midlands and East Anglia.

Pro Mini Mix, which will be based at Breedon Southern’s new ready-mixed concrete plant in Walsall, will enable the Group to extend its coverage across the central belt of England, taking advantage of the buoyant markets in and around Birmingham.

Rise in number of new home registrations in Scotland

New figures from the National House-Building Council (NHBC) have revealed a rise in the number of new home registrations in Scotland.

Local authorities across the country recorded 3,292 new home registrations in the first three months of 2017, up from 3,021 in the same period last year.

Overall, a total of 42,470 homes were registered in the UK during Q1 2017, a 17% rise compared with last year (36,351 in 2015) and the highest figure for 10 years.

In the private sector, 31,197 homes were registered, a 10% increase compared with 28,278 last year. Elsewhere, 11,273 homes were registered in the ‘affordable’ sector, a 40% rise compared with 2016 (8,073).

In addition, all 12 regions across the UK also experienced growth when compared with the same period last year. The North East (+39%), London (+38%) and Eastern (+31%) were among the regions with the most notable growth.

NHBC managing director Neil Jefferson said the sector’s strong start to 2017 is “encouraging”.

“This growth in registrations, in both the private and affordable sector, is welcome news and will result in more newly built homes across the UK over the coming months,” he said.

Shortbread firm plans cafe on A96

A biscuit giant has unveiled plans for a new cafe at its north-east headquarters.

Shortbread producer Deans of Huntly hopes to attract a new kind of customer to its site on Steven Road with the Fly Cup cafe.

The scheme is aimed at passing motorists who want to stop for a quick refreshment and a bite to eat.

The proposed two-storey development would consist of two converted shipping containers.

The company has now submitted a formal planning application for the cafe.

The firm said it hoped the development would help breathe new life into the town amid a tough economic climate.

If approved, it is hoped the new cafe would be open by the end of the year.

Plans approved for new hotel and homes in Cairngorms

Plans have been approved to build a new hotel and homes in Cairngorms National Park.

Whitbread PLC will develop a new 60-bed Premier Inn hotel on the site of the former filling station at Grampian Road in Aviemore.

In addition, a small eight-home housing development will be built to the west of Newtonmore. Two of the properties will be ‘affordable’ units.

Scotland TranServ to begin Renfrewshire road surface improvements

Scotland TranServ is to begin a £600,000 road surface improvement scheme in Renfrewshire.

The company will repair potholes and structural cracks, along with installing high friction surfacing, on a 2.5km stretch of the A737 between Howwood and Roadhead Roundabout.

Works will be carried out over two phases; resurfacing (Phase one) and routine maintenance (Phase two). Road closures will be necessary in order to complete this work as quickly and safely as possible.

Phase one will see work to address potholes and structural cracking take place over a 1.1km section of carriageway, with Phase two carried out on nearly 1.4km of carriageway.

The first phase will begin from 8pm on Friday, 05 May until 6am on Monday, 08 May, while Phase two will take place between the same times from Monday, 08 May until Friday, 12 May.

New roofing guide to boost housebuilders’ use of offsite components

Important new roofing guidance endorsed by the NHBC is being published by the Trussed Rafter Association (TRA), designed to reduce the risks, costs and waste from poor spandrel panel construction by housebuilders.

In a recent NHBC survey of 8,000 new homes sites, about 17% were already using spandrel panels. Trussed roof manufacturers report increasing interest in these offsite components, especially from large and volume housebuilders building low-rise housing and apartments.

The new guide for masonry-built homes provides evidence-based technical best practice on the design, structural requirements, fire and acoustic performance, weather protection and safe installation of spandrel panels. It is available now as a free download from the TRA website.

The guide has been developed by the TRA in association with the NHBC and the Structural Timber Association (STA) and will receive further updates following the outcome of further fire testing, currently being undertaken with the STA. The TRA and NHBC will also be providing further updates on gable detailing later this year.

The TRA recently presented at the NHBC Building for Tomorrow roadshows, speaking to more than 700 housebuilders, addressing issues and providing guidance on spandrel panel design, manufacturing, handling and delivery, and installation.

The TRA represents over 65% of the trussed rafter and metal web joist industry in the UK and Ireland. Members include the principal manufacturers of trussed rafters, metal web joists, suppliers and professionals involved in roof and floor design and construction.