Building Briefs – December 4th

Housing developer and regeneration specialist Lovell has scooped a top industry award for its outstanding health and safety approach.

Lovell won the Health and Safety Award at the 12th annual awards held by industry publication Builder & Engineer.

Honouring the construction industry’s leading achievers, this year’s awards were judged by an expert panel including Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders and Saleem Akram, director of construction, innovation and development at The Chartered Institute of Building.

The accolade recognises Lovell’s achievements in ensuring the safety of its workforce, subcontractor partners and the general public on all its projects across the UK where the company builds and sells homes as well as carrying out major housing regeneration and refurbishment schemes.

GAP triumphs at The Herald Scottish Family Business Awards 2015

GAP Hire Solutions, the equipment hirer to the construction, maintenance, utilities and events sectors has won the Large Family Business of the Year award at this year’s Scottish Family Business Awards run by The Herald newspaper.

The awards recognise and reward family businesses of all sizes and sectors in Scotland and took place in Glasgow on December 2nd 2015.

GAP was started in 1969 by Gordon Anderson hiring out large items of plant from one location in Renfrewshire. Gordon’s sons Douglas and Iain joined the business in 1978 and 1984 respectively and are now the company’s Joint Managing Directors. Still 100% family owned, Douglas and Iain’s niece Karen and Douglas’ son Mark hold senior management positions in the company.

Today, the company has more than 130 locations, 1400 staff and hires out a wide range of equipment and products from its 8 divisions.

Ministers focused on securing operator for Tata Steel plants

Scottish ministers are focused on securing a new operator for Tata Steel plants in Scotland, according to business minister Fergus Ewing.

The Scottish Steel Taskforce (SST) will seek a new head for the two mothballed steel mills once the minimum statutory period of 45 days consultation with workers is reached today.

Tata Steel confirmed in October that the Dalzell plate rolling works in Motherwell and the Clydebridge plant in Cambuslang were to be closed, resulting in 270 jobs being lost.

However Mr Ewing said both the SST and Government remain focused on the future of Scottish steel.

West Lothian swimming pool receives £85,000 upgrade

A swimming pool in West Lothian has reopened following an £85,000 upgrade.

The pool at Inveralmond Community High School in Livingston was opened on 25 November after work to redevelop the changing area was completed.

Works on the project included renewal of specialist drainage channels, new partitioning throughout, replacement of fire protective coatings, specialists wall finishes and replacement of the existing vinyl flooring with new anti-slip resin flooring.

A council spokesperson said: “We hope both schools and community swimmers will enjoy the new and improved facilities at Inveralmond pool.”

Plans put forward for new primary school in Moray

Plans have been put forward to build a new primary school in Moray.

A report recommended developing the new school in Elgin due to a consultation on re-zoning the regions catchment areas.

The consultation overwhelmingly backed the plans for a new school, which will be designed and built on a site off Linkwood Road.

Officers have also recommended establishing a temporary school at the former Heritage Centre as the new school is being built.

It is estimated the new school will be completed in 2018.

Councillors will be asked to approve plans for the new school next week.

Highland wind farm now fully operational

A wind farm development in the Highland’s has completed its commissioning phase, SSE has announced.

The fully operational 33-turbine Strathy North wind farm is now fully operational.

The site has a total generation capacity of 67.65MW and can power around 64,000 homes each year.

Contractors RJ McLeod and Senvion carried out the work.

The project has so far delivered over £3 million of contracts across the North Sutherland and Caithness area, and a seven-figure contract was placed with the local Kirkton quarry in Melvich for the production and supply of concrete for the site.

The wind farm is also powering a £4.5m community benefit fund for the local area.