Building Briefs – April 5th

Demolition work is underway on buildings seriously damaged by the recent Sauchiehall Street fire in Glasgow.

A major blaze ripped through the block last week, which housed businesses including Victoria’s nightclub.

Following the blaze, Glasgow City Council has confirmed the buildings were unsafe and had to be pulled down.

The fire was one of the biggest faced by Scotland’s fire service since it was amalgamated nearly five years ago.

The buildings at 92-96 and 98-106 Sauchiehall Street will now be demolished.

The work is expected to last for around 10-12 weeks.

Trade body’s new specialist construction programme apprentices pass with flying colours

The first trainees undertaking a new apprenticeship in a specialist area of construction are all geared up for a bright future after successfully completing the trade body run programme.

Eight apprentices have received their NVQ Level 2 diplomas in Insulation and Building Treatments (Wood Preserving and Damp Proofing) from national trade body the Property Care Association, with support and funding from CITB.

The first cohort of trainees were inducted in December 2015 and given two years to complete their apprenticeship, with a programme including 21 days of offsite training held at the PCA’s dedicated educational facility in Huntingdon.

Since then, the PCA Specialist Apprenticeship Programme has gone from strength-to-strength, with two further groups on track to achieve their diplomas next year and an industry-high retention rate of 91 per cent.

The apprenticeship draws in trainees from companies based across the UK, in both PCA member and non-member companies.

It has been created to develop a new generation of professionals with the important skills necessary to preserve and protect properties across the UK.

Those completing the programme have undertaken a comprehensive programme which will give them an insight into subjects including wet and dry rot, wood boring insects, rising damp and timber treatments.

Major resurfacing works due on A7

A major £1.5 million resurfacing project will be carried out on one of Edinburgh’s main arterial routes this spring.

The City of Edinburgh Council’s roads team have notified residents and businesses along the stretch of the A7 from Newington Road (just north of Salisbury Place) to Hunter Square ahead of the three-month project, which is due to get under way on a phased basis from April 9.

As well as completely resurfacing the carriageway working south to north, the works will also include upgrades to three junctions, at East Preston Street, Bernard Terrace and West Richmond Street.

Traffic signal equipment will be upgraded, pedestrian crossing points and footways improved and cycle parking provision increased.

This corridor has been prioritised for resurfacing because of its current condition. As well as improving the travel experience for all road users, the project will enhance the appearance of the carriageway while also helping to reduce noise from passing traffic.

North Lanarkshire Council enters open property market for homes

Homes for sale on the open market could soon be purchased under a new scheme by North Lanarkshire Council.

Scotland’s largest local authority landlord has agreed proposals to buy homes which are for sale in the local housing market to increase supply of available council homes for rent.

Plans are being put in place to buy up to 100 homes each year to increase the number of properties for people in North Lanarkshire to live in.

The main criteria set against the purchase of homes on the open market would be:

The open market purchase is in addition to the council’s successful empty homes scheme which involves the council buying long term privately owned empty houses and flats, refurbishing them and renting them out to tenants.

East Ayrshire Council housing development underway in Dalrymple

Work is now well underway on a new council housing development at Barbieston Road in Dalrymple with five homes already taking shape.

The £1.74 million development is a key part of East Ayrshire Council’s strategic housing investment plan, providing eleven new build affordable homes for rent in the heart of the village.

There will be eight two-bedroom homes, two two-bedroom homes specially designed for older people and one two-bedroom home designed for wheelchair users.

Councillor Douglas Reid, leader of the council, visited the site with Councillor Elena Whitham, cabinet member for housing and communities, and local members for Doon Valley, Councillors John Bell, Elaine Dinwoodie and Drew Filson.

Built in partnership with CCG (Scotland) Ltd and supported by funding from the Scottish Government, work commenced on site in November 2017 and the homes are due for completion in autumn 2018.

Hillcrest helps Prince’s Trust placements to ‘get into electrical’

An inspiring electrician received an insight into his trade of choice with a Dundee-based maintenance company as part of a national employment initiative this week.

Dale Cartmill has been shadowing Hillcrest Maintenance Services (HMS) electricians for a week’s hands on training as part of the Prince’s Trust Get into Electrical scheme.

HMS operations supervisor (electrical), Alan Lonie, said: “It’s important to give young people the opportunity to get a real insight into the working day of a trade before they decide on their career.

“Hillcrest spends a lot of time investing in apprenticeships and training opportunities and our work with The Prince’s Trust compliments our other activities around youth employment.”

HMS has also been working with Dundee’s Braeview Academy to engage with school pupils as they start to think about what career path to take.

Aberdeen Standard Investments launches first pan-European housing fund

A new fund has been launched by Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI) to invest in the residential sector in Europe’s leading cities.

The first open-ended property fund of its kind to invest in the residential sector on a pan-European basis, the European Residential Property Fund will focus on the private rented sector (PRS).

Supported by cornerstone investor Pensioenfonds Metaal en Techniek (PMT) and its fiduciary manager MN. Initial, the fund has received investments in excess of €350 million from eight investors in The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Luxembourg.

With further fund-raising planned, the fund is intended to grow to above €1 billion over the next five years.

ASI said its team will buy existing private rental housing blocks and forward-fund the development of new stock to create a portfolio of good quality, sustainable middle-income residential property.

Whilst PRS is the priority, 25% of the total portfolio can be invested in other types of accommodation such as student housing, retirement and nursing homes. The fund will target high standards of sustainability and will aim to achieve a minimum four star rating by the GRESB Real Estate Assessment, which is the industry measure of green performance.

Up to half of the total capital will be deployed in Germany, with the remainder invested across cities in western Europe, including the UK. The fund will target a return of 5-7% (net of fees), with an income element of 3-4% per year. Debt will not exceed 40% (loan to value) at a fund level, with a long term target leverage of 25%.

Dundee hotel undergoes £1.7m revamp

A three-star hotel in Dundee’s west end is undergoing £1.7 million extension and refurbishment thanks to a six-figure support package from Bank of Scotland.

The Invercarse Hotel will add a new wing to its existing building which add 24 new bedrooms, taking the total number of rooms to 68.

All of the new rooms will have ‘zip-and-link’ beds to allow guests to adapt each one to either a double or a twin.

Expansion plans for two North-east hotels approved

Two North-east hotels have had their expansion plans approved.

The Boat Inn at Aboyne will now turn a house adjacent to its car park into a separate eight-bedroom annex for the busy hotel.

The Fife Arms in Braemar will meanwhile convert Mayfield, a disused bed and breakfast, into staff accommodation for up to 15 people.

River Tay rowing club HQ backed for approval

A rowing club’s bid for a base on the banks of the River Tay has been supported by planners.

The clubhouse is earmarked for land at Sleepless Inch, Rhynd, downstream of Friarton Bridge.

Tay Rowing Club, which was formed in 2015 by a group of Perth residents and former Dundee University students, want to build a two-storey HQ with meeting rooms and changing areas.