Building Briefs – August 29th

Strategic step towards decommissioning at Port of Dundee

Forth Ports Limited and AF Offshore Decom UK have announced the signing of a Heads of Agreement with the intent to establish a new joint venture, AF Dundee, which will lay the foundations of creating a North Sea oil and gas decommissioning hub in the city of Dundee, with its nucleus at the port.

AF Offshore Decom UK, a subsidiary of AF Gruppen, is one of the North Sea’s most respected and prominent decommissioning contractors and operates AF VATS Environmental Base in Norway, the North Sea’s most advanced facility for decommissioning offshore installations.

The Port of Dundee, is optimally placed to accommodate a significant share of North Sea decommissioning work due to its proximity to many UK North Sea oil and gas assets, rail and road links, port facilities, its on-site supply chain and the city’s skilled workforce.

The Port of Dundee, which is owned by Forth Ports, is currently installing a £10 million quay extension which will feature the UK’s strongest quayside, specifically designed to equip the port to handle the large-scale loads demanded during decommissioning operations.

Green light for new homes in Clydebank

The Scottish Government has given its approval to plans for new homes in Clydebank after meeting with West Dunbartonshire Council over the plans.

The proposals will see 40 new units completed in Singer Street by early 2018 with another 345 targeted for build in the next five years.

During the meeting, which was held at the government’s request, the council’s housing and communities committee heard that the government were “very happy” with the plans.

So far, 121 new build homes for social rent have been delivered across the area with £14 million in investment.

Another 120 are expected on the former St Andrew’s School land and 189 at Queens Quay.

Clydebank Housing Association is working on 44 homes in Radnor Park next to the council’s Singer Street site and Link Housing Association is finishing 30 homes in Dalmuir.

In total, more than £36 million in base funding from the Scottish Government is earmarked for delivering new affordable homes in West Dunbartonshire by 2020-21. That total is almost £30m more than had been assumed in December 2016.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise investment for Kildonan Museum’s expansion

More young people will get involved in various activities at a South Uist museum following a major extension and internal improvements.

Local historical trust, Urras Eachdraidh Uibhist a Deas (UEUD) which owns Kildonan Museum (Taigh-Tasgaidh Chill Donnain) has completed a £800,000 development project.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is supporting the development with a grant of £100,000.

The museum celebrates South Uist’s past through the story of Gaelic culture, environment and people and aims to increase the level of involvement of local people and visitors.

The multi-functional building houses the museum, café and shop. As well as a new extension, the building has undergone internal improvements including a redesign of the interpretive displays.

Young people will get the opportunity to be involved in multi-lingual audio tours of the museum and a junior Comann Eachdraidh will be established.

The project enables UEUD to use new interpretation displays and a traditional smithy and wool shed which will be used for demonstrations.

Partnership funding for the project was secured from the Scottish Government and Local Authorities Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, SnBM Community Fund, Foyle Foundation and funds from UEUD.

Built in 1997, Kildonan Museum is a popular visitor attraction in South Uist. The museums’ collections include artefacts of cultural significance spanning an extensive period relating to early human settlements, clan history and the Jacobites. Important archives relating to crofting, culture and Gaelic are also housed there.

Next phase of A90 demolition works set for this weekend

Subject to weather conditions, it is expected that traffic will be switched from using the A90 northbound carriageway at Stonehaven to the newly constructed A90 southbound carriageway between noon on Wednesday 30 August and 6am on Thursday 31 August, as part of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project.

Various lane closures will be in operation on the A90 at Stonehaven during this period to facilitate the traffic switch.

The contractor plans to start the demolition of the existing northbound carriageway bridge, which currently carries the A90 over the B979 Netherley Road, this weekend. This can only be undertaken once essential preparatory works have been completed, which are weather dependent.

To help prepare for these potential works, and to ensure the demolition of the bridge can take place safely, the B979 between New Mains of Ury and Glenury Road will close from around 8pm on Friday 1 September until around 6am on Monday 4 September.

Following the demolition of the existing northbound carriageway bridge, a contraflow with two lanes of traffic heading northbound and one lane of traffic heading southbound will be in operation on the newly constructed southbound carriageway bridge.

Once the bridge is demolished using specialist plant including breakers, the contractor will immediately begin construction of the new A90 northbound carriageway bridge section.

Elgin’s Grant Lodge repairs agreed

Grant Lodge in Elgin will undergo up to £25,000 of essential maintenance works, after councillors approved the spend this morning.

A report to Moray Council’s policy & resources committee noted that the dilapidated B-listed building is in urgent need of repair, or could suffer a “catastrophic failure in structural elements”.

A build- up of roof vegetation, leaking gutters and blocked downpipes has led to an outbreak of dry rot, which is affecting the structure of the building.

A recent specialist report stated “as a result of the dry rot the floor boards in the upper hall are extremely dangerous and should not be walked on under any circumstances”, with other areas of the building identified as being “extremely unsafe”.

Chair of the committee and leader of Moray Council, Councillor George Alexander, said avoiding further deterioration of the building fabric was key to safeguarding the future of the iconic lodge, which was gifted to the then Town Council in the early 20th century.

Work is expected to start shortly.

First class sports facility for Bellshill pupils

Future stars of sport could be in the making after a new £550,000 multi-use games area (MUGA) officially opened at Cardinal Newman High School in North Lanarkshire.

Convener of education Frank McNally joined excited pupils and staff from the 40-year-old Bellshill school as the new all-weather sports surface was put to the test for the first time.

The new sports’ facilities are part of a £2 million modernisation programme at the school which includes enhanced art facilities, a new dance studio and fitness suite.

The MUGA will provide an all-weather games area for a variety of sports including 11-a-side football, three 7-a-side football pitches, hockey, six tennis courts and athletics (200m track and 100m straight). There will also be six basketball hoops.