Building Briefs – February 28th

• MSP visits Kier’s Scottish HQ

Fulton MacGregor SNP MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston said: “I was delighted to visit Kier Construction Scotland’s newly refurbished HQ in Stepps today.  It was good to hear about the diverse range of projects that Kier is carrying out and their commitment to providing local jobs for local people to help boost the local economy.

“And as deputy convener of the Children & Young People’s Cross Party Group in Holyrood, I was equally keen to hear about the initiatives they have in place to inform and encourage young people about the construction industry.

“In particular I was impressed by their ‘Shaping Your World’ initiative where they have pledged 1% of their workforce to engage with schools and colleges to highlight the vast career opportunities that exist within this dynamic industry.”

Gordon Reid, business development manager for Kier Construction Scotland, said: “I was pleased to welcome Mr Fulton to our new look, modern head-office and introduce him to some of the 125 employees who are based here. Our construction expertise spans a number of sectors including education, healthcare and heritage, and we are expanding our order book and providing diverse employment and training opportunities throughout Scotland.

“Mr MacGregor was very receptive to the initiatives that we have in place to address the skills gap, including our ‘Shaping Your World’ campaign to encourage more young people to consider a career in this thriving sector.”

• Royal Commonwealth Pool included in extend Edinburgh conservation area

A group of Category ‘A’ listed buildings, with special architectural and historic importance are now part of Edinburgh’s South Side Conservation Area.

In a report by the City of Edinburgh Council, which was approved by the local authority’s planning committee yesterday, The Royal Commonwealth Pool, the Scottish Widows building and the first phases of Pollock Halls were all described as having distinct character and significant value and were cited as good examples of their architectural styles.

Originally designated in May 1975, the South Side Conservation Area boundary line will now be amended and follows consultation with local residents, businesses and other local institutions as well as city-wide amenity groups.

• New £40m Parkhead health & social care hub moves forward

The creation of a new £40 million Health and Social Care Hub in Parkhead has moved a step closer. 

Glasgow Integration Joint Board (IJB) has agreed that the project should be a future investment priority for Glasgow Health & Social Care Partnership (HSCP). It has also agreed that full engagement on the proposal should be carried out by the HSCP between March and May. 

The existing health centre is in a busy location with good public transport links, but it’s too small to continue to meet the needs of the growing local population. The ongoing regeneration of neighbouring Dalmarnock is expected to boost the local population to 20,000 people.

• Aberdeenshire housing budget to provide more homes

Aberdeenshire Council’s housing service aims to increase the supply of affordable housing as part of a new plan that includes continued improvements to existing properties and support for vulnerable people.

The authority has been working with registered social landlords and private developers for a number of years to increase the amount of affordable housing in the area.

It is nearing the end of phase six of its new build housing programme, with 115 new homes for social rent approaching completion.

Work has already started on a further 251 new units. Of these, 91 will be delivered through the council’s new build programme, and the remaining 160 in partnership with registered social landlords.

The development of additional housing is a key focus of the council’s housing revenue account, approved as part of Aberdeenshire Council’s recent budget discussions.

As well as the ongoing programme of development, the fund has capacity for the creation of up to an extra 1,000 homes in partnership with the private sector. The new homes will be energy efficient, meet housing for varying needs of tenants, and will help support the local construction industry.

Meanwhile, the council is working to meet the Scottish Government’s energy efficiency targets for social housing, with significant improvement works taking place in existing properties and supporting efforts to help people out of fuel poverty.

Work is also continuing to upgrade properties through the replacement of kitchens and bathrooms, among other works.

To support these programmes, the council launched a repairs and planned maintenance system in north Aberdeenshire last year. The system is now going live across the central and south areas, making it easier for tenants to access information about upcoming works.

And opportunities for tenant participation are to be expanded through the development of a new tenant participation strategy. Among its aims will be to improve customer engagement through the use of technology and helping tenants become better linked with council officers.

To fund this wide range of projects, as well as other work, council rents are to increase by the rate of inflation plus 2.5%, totalling 4.9%, this year.

And while other housing charges will increase in line with inflation, charges for heating and lighting have been reduced to reflect lower than anticipated energy price increases.

• Welcome improvements to Fife gypsy traveller sites

Fife Council has committed to significant investment in gypsy traveller sites across the Kingdom over the next year.

Convenor of the community and housing services committee, Cllr Judy Hamilton, visited the site at Heatherywood, Kirkcaldy to see first-hand the results of the £840,000 improvements already carried out by the council’s Building Services.

All the amenity blocks have been upgraded to make them more energy efficient and new kitchens and bathrooms have been provided.

• Dean Castle restoration begins

With the scaffolding now in place around Dean Castle, stonework repairs are due to commence as part of the £5 million restoration and renovation project.

Contractors CBC Stone will begin the process of removing the cement pointing to stone walls of the Castle and replace it with lime mortar.

The walls of the Castle are mostly constructed of large random stone blocks inset with mortar. The right kind of mortar will let moisture in and out of the walls, allowing the walls to ‘breathe’. However, previous repairs, including those done by Lord Howard de Walden himself, used cement rather than lime, which traps moisture within the walls. As a result, the stonework has become saturated and is crumbling as the walls are unable to dry out, resulting in mould and sections of mortar flaking off.

As part of these works, some tree felling will take place around the Castle. This will allow for new landscaping as part of the restoration and will be more in keeping with the heritage setting of the Castle. The wood from the felled trees will be reused within the park for key projects and a coppice woodland with 2000 new trees will also be planted.

• Work on schedule at Levenmouth Swimming Pool and Sports Centre  

Work continues on site at Levenmouth Swimming Pool and Sports Centre.

The centre’s gym and studio spaces are being transformed to give customers much-improved, dedicated spaces to make getting active even more enjoyable.

The completion of phase one works were recently announced with the re-opening of the sports hall to customers, and, phase two is on schedule with completion expected early next month.

• Lenzie play park’s transformation complete

A play park in Lenzie has been completely transformed thanks to a £40,000 investment by East Dunbartonshire Council.

Situated at the corner of Cypress Court and Oak Drive, the new play area replaces an existing facility which had been installed in 1981, and was upgraded as part of the Council’s Open Space Strategy.

The new facility incorporates a selection of equipment including a selection of flat and cradle swings to accommodate children of all ages as well as a rope swing - one of the must have pieces of equipment every child loves.

A new multi play unit has been installed for older children while a seesaw and wheelchair friendly roundabout are also welcome new additions to the popular play park, which has also been given a new safety surfacing with colourful graphics.

The existing equipment at the park, which included three springies, two rotators and a smaller multi play unit for younger children, were also given a facelift as part of the work.