Building Briefs – August 24th

Local government and housing minister Kevin Stewart chose the historic setting of the Scottish Mining Museum to announce an £800,000 funding package to enable the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) in Scotland to ensure a brighter future for local mining areas.

The year-long settlement for the CRT, the only organisation dedicated to supporting the country’s former mining towns and villages, includes an additional £50,000 to help fund the their work in Kincardine to offset the devastating loss of Longannet Power Station.

The CRT has been the driving force in buying and renovating the former Clydesdale Bank building in the centre of Kincardine, which is currently being converted into an Enterprise and Training Hub, and will also serve as the CRT’s Scottish HQ.

The development represents a step-change for the organisation, enabling it to expand its range of activities and become a registered training provider, using the new Hub to run skills and employment programmes, and provide space for start-up business to hot desk ahead of identifying their own premises.

The top priority will be to deliver job creation and training programmes, and launch new social enterprises and other businesses to cushion the blow of Longannet’s closure.

Later the Coalfields Regeneration Trust will use the building as a base from which to offer services and courses to all Scotland’s mining areas, which still lag behind the rest of the country in health, education and job opportunities.

The Scottish Government’s £800,000 funding package will also enable the CRT to extend its hugely successful Coalfields Community Futures programme to another seven communities this year, as well as continue its Coalfields Community Investment Programme.

Olympic and Paralympic athletes open new £3.15m National Curling Academy

Minister for public health and sport Aileen Campbell threw the first stone to declare the new £3.15 million National Curling Academy open.

The world-class facility at Stirling Sports Village is Scotland’s first dedicated curling academy which ensures that from now on Team Scotland, Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes and community players have year-round access to high-quality ice to train on.

As well as helping the sport develop from a grassroots perspective, the National Curling Academy provides a year-long training environment where the continuous delivery of outstanding coaching and support programmes to our world-class athletes can take place.

As well as exceptionally high-quality ice on four new sheets, from September, the Academy will have real time video capture and displays comprising multiple camera viewing angles allowing for video-based feed-back on individual sheets and across all four curling sheets.

The impact of sweeping with smartbroom technology continues to be monitored and it provides real time feedback rink side which includes measures such as forces applied to the broom, broom head amplitude, broom frequency and ice/stone impact.

All of this data will be collected into a database which can be securely accessed both on site and remotely via web based access once it is installed in early September.

hub East Central Scotland managed the entire project from the early development and procurement stage, to commissioning Robertson as the main contractor and project team and final hand over on completion.

Scottish energy minister visits Dundee for briefing on port’s investment

The Port of Dundee welcomed the Scottish minister for business, innovation and energy, Paul Wheelhouse MSP, to the port yesterday to hear about the £10 million investment programme to create a hub for future North Sea oil and gas operations and offshore wind projects.

The minister was briefed on the £10m quay extension which will feature the UK’s strongest quayside, specifically designed to equip the port to handle the large scale loads demanded during both decommissioning and renewables projects.

He was joined by Dundee MSPs Joe FitzPatrick and Shona Robison.

Councillors to consider review of schools estate in Buckie area

Councillors in Moray will consider a review of the schools estate in the Buckie area to ensure a high standard of education and facilities is available to pupils.

Earlier this year a ‘Schools for the Future’ review was carried out by Moray Council officers, who audited the sustainability of primary and secondary schools in the Buckie Associated Schools Group (ASG).

It highlighted the unsustainability of four primary schools in the ASG, which are currently operating at less than 50% capacity, as well as making recommendations for streamlining the school estate and making the best use of spare capacity in primary schools.

Yesterday, members of Moray Council’s children and young people’s services committee agreed to consider a future review which chair, Councillor Tim Eagle, reassured would not focus on school closures, rather making sure all young people have access to quality education and facilities.

Councillors also agreed to consider a new-build for Buckie High School in the future, which could see a joint campus with a new-build Cluny Primary School, along with nursery provision and a community hub.

A report to the committee noted that “although the school has been well cared for it is not a school for the 21st century”, with condition of the school at B standard, suitability at C standard and safety and security rated at D standard.

Currently at 75% capacity, the number of pupils enrolled at Buckie High School is set to soar, with 94% capacity forecasted for 2024.

Resurfacing improvements to Hawick town road

Works will begin next month to resurface a section of Weensland Road in Hawick.

The improvements on Weensland Road will begin on Monday 4 September and last six days.

From 4 to 8 September, the resurfacing works will be carried out under a convoy system between 9am and 4.30pm, allowing the road to remain open.

Due to health and safety legislation, the remaining works will mean Weensland Road – which is part of the A698 road – will be closed on Sunday 10 September from 8am to 5pm.

During the works, Weensland Road will also be subjected to parking restrictions.

Housing minister celebrates opening of iconic Russell Institute

Paisley’s iconic Russell Institute was officially opened this week as Kevin Stewart MSP, the minister for local government and housing, joined invited guests and Renfrewshire Council leader Iain Nicolson to celebrate the occasion.

Guests who attended the event were given the opportunity to tour the category A-listed building in the heart of Paisley which has been transformed through a £5 million investment into a Skills & Employability Hub.

The completion of this project is one of a range of initiatives aimed at bolstering business and driving people back to the town centre. This is a fundamental aspect of the town’s bid for UK City of Culture 2021.

The work at the Institute was sparked by the passion of local volunteers in the Paisley Development Trust and was funded by the council, Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and Historic Environment Scotland’s Building Repairs Grant.

The former health centre is now home to Skills Development Scotland and the council’s Invest in Renfrewshire employability team.

It houses around 120 employees including careers and employability staff helping unemployed people across Renfrewshire and working closely with local businesses to create further jobs and grow the local economy.

Main contractors CBC Ltd were charged with ensuring the distinctive features of the Institute were retained, from its ornate sculptures on the outside of the building, to its stunning staircase and balcony inside.

The Institute marked its 90th anniversary this year so the reopening of the building is just one reason to celebrate this iconic local landmark.

£6m water treatment works upgrade begins on Mull

Work has started on a £6 million Water Treatment Works (WTW) upgrade project on the Isle of Mull.

The scheme will improve the infrastructure of Tobermory WTW and involves the construction of an additional water treatment works, which will be operated in conjunction with the existing treatment process and increase the overall facility’s capacity.

The project, which is being carried out for Scottish Water by Ross-shire Engineering, is expected to be completed in summer 2018.