Building Briefs – December 14th

Work to install a new platform at Edinburgh Waverley railway station is now complete.

The new 204-metre-long platform 12 entered into service on Sunday, 10 December.

Located to the western side of the station, the scheme forms a key part of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP). It will accommodate new electric trains being introduced by ScotRail next year.

Works included demolishing redundant station buildings on platforms 11 and 12 before extending platform 12 by 75 metres. Around 2,500 tonnes of material was removed and 200-metres of track laid as well as new signalling and overhead powerline infrastructure installed.

The completion of platform 12 is the first in a series of enhancements being delivered at the station. New track-layout is set to be installed between platforms 10 and 11 to increase flexibility at the station and allow more trains to use the platforms. In addition, platforms 5 and 6 are also being extended to 265-metres to accommodate new 10-car trains due to be introduced on the main line between Edinburgh and London.

Funding approved for flood protection project in Glasgow’s East End

Glasgow City Council has today approved the release of funding towards the Camlachie Burn (Biggar Street) project, a scheme which will reduce flooding and release land for development.

The release of this £1.4 million funding, 80% of the project’s cost - a Scottish Government General Capital Grant - will allow the construction of a new 185 metres channel (12 metres wide by three metres deep) including connections with the existing upstream and downstream culverts.

The remaining 20% of the project cost will come from the Glasgow City Region City Deal.

The Camlachie Burn (Biggar Street) project will create greater drainage capacity within the Camlachie Burn catchment so reducing the risk of flooding and making possible the regeneration of vacant and derelict sites in the area.

The works on the burn at Biggar Street form part of a larger civil engineering contract that includes the construction of a new channel and culvert on the Camlachie Burn at Shettleston Road.

The Camlachie Burn (Biggar Street) project also forms a key component of the Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Partnership (MGSDP) City Deal Business

Former Hamilton department store site set for new lease of life

Pub chain Wetherspoons is on course to open a bar, restaurant and hotel in the centre of Hamilton after approval was given to a new lease deal for the site of the former Baird’s Department Store.

South Lanarkshire Council’s housing and technical resources committee heard that the ground lease for the town centre site is currently held by Regent Centre owners Maration through a deal with the council but that Wetherspoons were interested in developing the site of the former Baird’s Unit if they could secure a long term lease.

After hearing evidence of the potential economic benefits of the proposed investment in a 13 bedroom hotel/restaurant/public house/coffee bar complex on the currently vacant site councillors approved a deal which would allow Wetherspoons to lease the land directly from the council.

The lease agreement is subject to Wetherspoons being successful in obtaining all necessary, planning, building and licensing consents it will require for the site.

Scotland housing market remains subdued but optimism for 2018 remains – RICS

Sales across the Scottish housing market remain flat in the run up to Christmas, according to the November 2017 RICS UK Residential Market Survey.

In November, new buyer enquiries were flat across Scotland.

RICS said last month saw -4 per cent more respondents saw a fall in new buyer interest, which it said reflected that once again the lower end of the market is more active.

Newly agreed sales also remained flat in November across Scotland. With the exception of Wales and Northern Ireland, where the feedback on the sales picture was reasonably positive, the numbers were either a flat or negative across most other areas of the UK.

But going forward, 29 per cent more respondents to the Scotland survey expect sales to pick up across the coming three months. This is despite new instructions to sell continuing to deteriorate in November, as the supply crisis continues (-22 per cent net balance over the month).

To give some idea of the future of new instructions coming on to the market, contributors were asked to compare the number of appraisals that were undertaken in November with the same period last year. Nationally, the largest share of respondents (49 per cent) noted appraisals were lower, while only 15 per cent stated they were higher on a like for like basis. As such, this does not bode particularly well for the new instructions pipeline.

However, contributors are optimistic that the market is going to gain momentum in the coming months and expect possible Budget changes to bolster the market in 2018.

On prices, RICS found the Scottish house price balance is underpinned by the continued lack of stock in November, with 35 per cent more respondents seeing prices rise last month. Once again however, there were significant variations at a regional level. London continues to see the most negative sentiment, 54 per cent more contributors seeing a fall in prices rather than a rise. Alongside this, both the South East and East Anglia also reported negative price trends. Elsewhere, the price balances were slightly negative in the North East, but stronger in all other regions/countries in the UK. In particular, solid gains were reported in Wales, Northern Ireland and the North West region.

Looking forward, the three month price expectations are also optimistic in Scotland as the net balance moved to +24 per cent from +22 per cent in October.

Looking at price expectations across other regions, sentiment again remains particularly cautious in London and the South East but, in contrast, contributors are confident that prices will rise in the North West, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland during the three months ahead.

Gary’s Glass business scores top marks at hub South West’s seventh Building for Growth awards event

The founder and director of Cumbernauld-based Cube Glass, Gary Thorn, has come out top of the latest Building for Growth Programme course organised by hub South West.

Gary, who started Cube Glass in 2013 and now in 20013 and which now has annual sales of £2.5 million, was marked by a panel of construction sector judges against his fellow course participants on a series of business attributes including leadership, strategic planning, marketing, business analysis and pitching for business.

In awarding Gary the number one slot, the judges praised, in particular, his clear passion for running the business and for taking his team, comprising twelve permanent and 15 contractors, along with him.

Cube Glass designs, supplies and installs a variety of products in aluminium and glass including windows, bi-folding doors, sliding doors, curtain walling, balconies, glazed roofs and internal glazed partitions.

hub South West’s seventh Building for Growth programme got under way in September this year and ran over 8 half-day sessions (10-2) over a period of 12 weeks. It concluded at the Award Ceremony on Thursday 30 November at Glasgow’s Corinthian.

The Building for Growth programme is open to any business looking to grow in a sustainable manner by building the skills and internal capacity to take on increasing volumes of business. A golden rule is ‘no competitors’, leaving participants free to discuss any business issues, challenges and opportunities in a safe and supportive environment with a like-minded group of business people.

Campbeltown town centre regeneration continues

The latest phase in the £2.2 million regeneration of Campbeltown’s town centre is gathering momentum, with work to repair a number of prominent buildings getting underway.

Building work, which is due to be completed in April 2018, to repair and conserve McLean Place West (10-14 Main Street) has started. Essential work to the property will see structural repairs, enhancement to roof timbers, rot works, slate roof works, leadwork, stonework and repairs to chimneys and rainwater goods.

Similar repairs have been carried out on the tenement at 9-15 Longrow South. The work is due to be completed this month, safeguarding two businesses two homes and 16 jobs.

Both projects are being delivered as part of the Argyll and Bute Council and Historic Environment Scotland funded Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) initiative.

With assistance from the CARS small grant scheme urgent roof repairs are also in progress at the Argyll Arms Hotel.

Tenders have been issued for work on the two priority buildings at 22-28 Main Street/2-8 Longrow South and a proposed amenity deck repair at the rear of 1-21 Longrow South, which involves almost 30 separate owners.

Both contracts are scheduled to start on site in spring 2018.

Alford handover complete for Osprey Housing

Osprey Housing has just taken possession of the second and final phase of properties at a new development in Aberdeenshire.

The 11 three-bed self contained houses and a four-bed home in Alford have already been allocated to tenants in what has been a highly sought after development. The four-bed house has additional facilities to help with particular needs and incorporates key “future proofing” design features such as a bathroom that can easily be converted to a wet room and a flexible layout for wheelchair users.

The latest tenants are expected to move in over the next week ensuring the families are in a new, warm energy efficient home for Christmas.

Earlier this year Osprey took possession of the first phase of this development – a mix of 15 houses and flats.

Minister helps Dunedin Canmore tenants celebrate first Christmas in new home

An Edinburgh couple are celebrating their first Christmas in their new home with a little help from housing minister Kevin Stewart.

The minister popped in to say hello to Dunedin Canmore tenants Mary and John Stewart in their new home in Muirhouse in north Edinburgh.

Mary and John, along with their 17-year old grandson Cameron, moved in to their new home – one of 80 new, energy-efficient homes in the development – in July.

The new homes in Muirhouse are a mix of one and two-bedroom flats, traditional four-in-a-block flats, and large family houses.

A total of 64 of the homes are for social rent, while 16 are for mid-market rent, let and managed by Dunedin Canmore’s partners in Wheatley Group, Lowther Homes.

Lowood Bridge emergency repair works completed

Emergency repair works to Lowood Bridge near Melrose are now complete.

The B-listed structure, which has reopened to cars and light vehicles only, was closed earlier this month to allow emergency works to be carried out to remove the parapet walls.

Despite the closure due to last until 18 December, evening and weekend working has allowed the programme to be completed early. However, the bridge will remain closed to vehicles over 7.5 tonnes in weight or exceeding 2.5 metres in width, as well as to pedestrians, due to the restricted width now available on the structure.

A major £640,000 repair and strengthening is due to begin on the bridge from the end of January 2018.

The councils said the start date for the works, which are scheduled to last around 20 weeks, will be confirmed as soon as possible.

Once the programme is finished, Lowood Bridge’s weight limit will be completely removed and all traffic will be able to use the bridge again.

The scheme is part of a programme of bridge repairs in 2017/18 which includes Clackmae Bridge near Earlston, Bowanhill Bridge near Teviothead and Bowden Church Bridge.

Work to start on Coatbridge sewer repair project

Work is to begin on a sewer repair project in Coatbridge.

Scottish Water will start re-laying a 15-metre section of sewer on Sunnyside Road from Monday, 08 January.

The two-week project also involves rebuilding a chamber at the south end of Sunnyside Road after a blockage in the sewer caused a collapse.

A section of the road will be closed to through traffic between Baird Street and South Circular Road while work is carried out.