Building Briefs – April 23rd

A plan to build hundreds of flats for rent on the banks of the Clyde has been given the go-ahead.

The development by Kippax, part of the Dandara Group, is part of the Glasgow Harbour development.

City councillors were told the multi-storey will be phase three of the GH²O scheme which has been moving west along the river.

Phases one and two involved five blocks of flats which are all completed and occupied.

The first plan for phase three would have resulted in a further three blocks being built on a site opposite Sawmill Road at Castlebank Street.

They would have contained 770 properties with the tallest soaring to 22 storeys high.

The new planning permission is for a total of 342 flats of which 78 will be studio flats, 134 one bedroom flats and 130 two bedroom flats.

Shops, offices, food and drink outlets and a gymnasium are planned for the ground floor level.

The flats, which will be in a block ranging in height from 12 to 16 storeys, will not be for sale but will all be available for rent.

A report to the planning committee said the original scheme was relatively plain in appearance and the finish relied heavily on glazed balconies and screens to add a level of visual interest.

Corrosion accelerates on Forth Road Bridge

Corrosion problems on the Forth Road Bridge have accelerated with a 12-fold increase in wire breaks recorded by engineers.

The Scotsman reports that an investigation is soon to get under way to determine the cause of the breaks within the main east cable.

Since it was installed in August 2006, an acoustic monitoring system on the two main cables has detected 93 wire breaks in total.

However, since the end of January, engineers have noted 24 wire breaks on just one cable alone.

This acceleration has been recorded near the top of the south-east tower on the east cable.

A dehumidification system to stop wires cracking in the suspension cables, which was installed in 2009, had greatly reduced concerns about their safety.

However, despite this wires within the cables which had been affected by corrosion are still prone to snapping. The scale of the problem has been highlighted in the most recent Forth Estuary Transport Authority (Feta) report submitted to Edinburgh City Council.

Concerns over the suspension cables were a factor in the decision to build the new £1 billion Queensferry Crossing, which is due to open in 2016.

Edinburgh Council publishes £2m development proposal

The City of Edinburgh Council has published a proposal outlining the £2 million development of East Hermiston Business Park at Cutlins Road.

Research by the council has identified an increasing shortage of industrial space in Edinburgh.

Units of up to 17,200 sq ft are to be created using the council’s Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) and also mounting solar photovoltaic panels on the facilities to generate renewable electricity.

Cllr Frank Ross, convener of the economy committee, said the proposals could create up to 30 jobs.

Developer withdraws Glenrothes affordable housing plan

Plans for much-needed affordable homes in Glenrothes have been dropped at the 11th hour.

Raith Developments has pulled its planning application to build 36 homes at Lochty View, straddling the town’s border with Thornton, after concerns were raised by private homeowners in the estate.

The news came just hours before a planned public meeting on the proposed development was due to take place in Thornton Village Hall. It is understood the plans are now unlikely to be resubmitted by the private developer.

Raith Developments had stated its desire to construct 36 homes in the exclusive Lochty View estate, consisting of 28 two-bedroom flats and eight three-bedroom houses.

If the plans had been approved, it was intended for Fife Council to purchase the homes with a view to making them available for mid-market rent.

However, many private homeowners were aggravated by the planned development, having paid large sums of money to own property in the area.

Although Raith Developments is pushing ahead with plans for 14 affordable homes in Leven, the withdrawal has come as a bitter blow for Fife Council in its efforts to deliver 2,700 new properties by 2017.

Scottish house prices ‘pushed rapidly upwards’

Scottish house prices were pushed “rapidly upwards” last month as property supply continued to lag demand, according to a survey.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) found house sales and buyer inquiries in Scotland grew steadily in March.

Its UK Residential Market Survey saw more surveyors expecting prices to increase over the next three months.

But recent price gains are expected to be much more moderate over the quarter.

The survey found 21 per cent more surveyors reporting a rise in house prices during March.

Overall the demand for residential property remained steady in Scotland, with 11 per cent more surveyors reporting an increase in new buyer inquiries, and 9 per cent more surveyors reporting an increase in newly agreed sales.

East Dunbartonshire Council to consider junction plan

Plans to upgrade a town centre junction as part of ambitious regeneration plans will be considered at a meeting of East Dunbartonshire Council on 30 April.

Proposals are being put forward for the future of the Catherine Street junction - just one element of the ongoing Kirkintilloch Masterplan.

The Masterplan aims to breathe new life into the town centre with £2.4 million of investment in improving the street environment.

The redesign of the junction has been influenced by wide-ranging engagement with the public, traders and local groups - particularly those with concerns about potential changes.

The concept aims to influence driver behaviour and make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to use the junction. It includes narrowing carriageways - reducing traffic speeds and vehicle movements - and striking a new balance between pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

Funding has been secured for Masterplan projects via a variety of national and local sources, involving partners such as Sustrans, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and the Scottish Government.

RWE win appeal on up to 20 turbines south of Inverness

Plans for a wind farm which were rejected by Highland councillors have been approved following a Scottish Government planning appeals process.

RWE Innogy UK has proposed erecting up to 20 turbines at Glen Kyllachy near Tomatin south of Inverness.

Highland Council’s south planning applications committee unanimously rejected the application last year.

Members of the committee said the development would have “a significant detrimental visual impact”.

Killylour water plant upgrade decision deferred

Councillors have deferred a decision on whether to approve a £3 million upgrade to a south of Scotland water treatment plant despite local objections.

Scottish Water wants to make the investment at its Killylour site near Shawhead in Dumfries and Galloway.

It says the works will allow it to increase the amount of high quality water provided for the area.

However, some residents have objected - raising concerns about the design, traffic and impact on wildlife.

Councillors had been advised to approve the scheme but with a number of conditions attached.

Glasgow housing scheme gives local teenager chance to build career

A new housing development in Glasgow’s East End is giving a local teenager the chance to build his own career in construction.

Shettleston Housing Association, affordable housing developer Lovell and youth charity Action for Children Scotland joined forces to arrange the opportunity for 18-year-old Peter Phinn.

Peter, who lives in Glasgow’s East End has been employed by Lovell to work full-time on the new development of 29 flats which the company is building for Shettleston Housing Association in Fernan Street, Shettleston.

Peter is employed as a general labourer and is also having the chance to try his hand at specialist trades such as bricklaying and joinery.

Shettleston have previously worked with contractors to give youngsters from the East End the chance of training and experience in the construction sector.

Lovell began work in December 2014 on the two-storey development of 29 amenity flats for social rent for residents aged 55 and over in Fernan Street. The energy-efficient new homes are arranged around a private, landscaped courtyard with the development also featuring parking and communal gardens.