Building Briefs - August 12th

• Barratt launches new scheme to give Aberdeen buyers a leg up

Interested buyers can find out more through Barratt Homes’ sales advisors at the developments, who can put customers in touch with an independent financial advisor to complete the mortgage process.

Mike Cowie, sales and marketing director at Barratt North Scotland, said: “One of the hardest parts of getting your foot up onto the property ladder is getting a large enough deposit together to secure an affordable mortgage – especially now that Help to Buy and the First Home Funds have closed. We understand how tough it can be, which is why we’ve launched the deposit boost at three of our most popular developments.

“This, in addition to expert advice from an independent financial advisor, will offer reassurance and peace of mind, while also enabling buyers to leverage much better deals.”

• Councillors to consider public views on Banff supermarket proposals

Views shared during a public consultation on proposals to sell land at Canal Park in Banff to allow for a supermarket development will be brought before councillors next week.

Member of Aberdeenshire Council’s Banff & Buchan Area Committee will be presented with a summary of the responses at their meeting next Tuesday before deciding whether or not to support the sale of the common good land.

Supermarket firm Morrisons was named as the preferred bidder for the project, which would involve the creation of a supermarket, café, filling station, car wash, and parking on land at Canal Park/Old Market Place.

The area of ground and buildings proposed for the project lies to the west of the Deveron Bridge and currently features a grass football pitch (Canal Park), pavilion, and the former Bridge Street Community Centre.

The land also includes three redundant tennis courts and a basketball court. The adjacent Princess Royal Park does not form part of the project.

The report to be presented to councillors highlights that there were 336 formal responses from members of the public and local groups over 10 weeks from April to June this year.

The feedback for and against the proposals has been organised under the themes of economic impact, community impact, location, infrastructure, and environmental.

If the committee supports the proposed sale, a retail impact assessment will be prepared, and arrangements will be made to seek approval from the Court of Session for the sale of the land at Lower Deveronside.

Proceeds from any sale of the land would be passed to the council’s Common Good Fund, with the money reserved for the benefit of the Banff and Macduff communities under the council’s Common Good Fund.

• Firstport Property Services Scotland to manage Perth & Kinross retirement homes

Firstport Property Services Scotland is set to take over the operational management of retirement developments in Scone and Kinross.

The Earlsgate and Muirwood Gardens schemes, which are exclusive to the over-55s, have been developed by Juniper Residential, part of Cruden Group.

The 51-unit Earlsgate development in Scone is on the site of the former Wheel Inn while Muirwood Gardens is located on the site of the former Windlestrae Hotel in Kinross.

Both schemes include a guest suite for visiting friends and family, The Scotsman reports.

• Consultation gets underway on proposals for Common Good Land in Falkirk

Falkirk Council has launched a public consultation on proposals for the demolition and sale of land and buildings at West Bridge Street.

The site and the buildings (Municipal Buildings and Falkirk Town Hall) form part of the Common Good of the former Burgh of Falkirk.

The consultation is seeking views on the proposals before any decision can be made regarding the disposal or change of use of the land and buildings.

For more information on Common Good Land read Part 8 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.

The consultation closes on August 27.

• Architecture students focus on social housing to deliver sustainable future in South Uist

Master’s students from the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture at Robert Gordon University who are working with islanders from South Uist to map out a sustainable future for the island have identified social housing as a key priority.

The project aligns with the ambitions of the Islands Growth Deal announced in March 2021, which secured £100 million funding from the UK and Scottish Governments in March, to boost jobs, infrastructure, transport and tourism in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.  

The group of students is working with the Outer Hebridean community, to explore the challenges of island life and to find, social, cultural and economic opportunities as part of a project founded on the themes of ‘Place, Craft and Community’.

The team, in collaboration with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and other bodies including NatureScot, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and community groups, is developing a series of research-informed design propositions that contribute to the future sustainability of the South Uist community in the context of significant and change.

Professor Karen Anderson, who is leading the project, explained: “The Outer Hebrides has ambitions to develop community sustainability and we are working with islanders to help them achieve this. One of the main findings of our study so far, has been the high level of self-sufficiency amongst islanders and their ability to endure a challenging landscape despite the increasing challenges of climate change, depopulation and access to services.

“Our overall ambition is to produce high quality architectural designs that will add real value to island life. We want to embrace craft in the community’s development and build up resilience, creativity and culture. Key proposals that we are suggesting include a marine research and agricultural laboratory, new social housing models, community and tourism-orientated facilities, and an insect farm!”

Local councillor Iain Archie MacNeil said: “It has been very interesting seeing this project develop over the last year. The students have come up with a wide range of proposals and have been very creative in their designs, whilst demonstrating a good awareness of the landscape and culture of South Uist.

“I am particularly pleased to see that a number of students have focused on social housing projects, as housing is a key priority for the area. I look forward to seeing how these projects take shape in the coming year, and hope that in the future there might be opportunities for these innovative housing ideas to help shape the work of the Uist and Barra Housing Group.”

Head of the Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment, Professor, David McClean, added: “Creating sustainable living in the Western Isles supports The Scott Sutherland School of Architecture’s social ethos to work with communities to deliver tangible projects that support the vary fabric of social life.

“RGU already has strong connections with islanders in the Orkney Isles through a range of collaborative projects and we hope to engage with the Western Isles in similar ways. In certain respects, island contexts such as this reflect wider global phenomena and challenges in microcosm, thus allowing macro issues to be explored through a very particular set of conditions.”

The first phase of the project continues over the next year at the end of which it is hoped that the work will be exhibited on the islands as well as in Aberdeen.