Building Briefs – February 28th

Maxim Office Park has announced the addition of electric vehicle (EV) charging points at the Park, the first available along the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Installed and supplied by eVolt, two Raption 50kW Rapid Chargers and two eVolve 7kW Chargers are now live and are capable of charging two vehicles simultaneously at full power in approximately 30 minutes. Maxim is one of only three locations in Scotland to host the top of the range EV chargers.

Selected by the Energy Saving Trust because of its ideal location next to the M8 between Scotland’s largest two cities, Maxim has an on-site café, restaurant and nursery for motorists to enjoy whilst charging their vehicles.

The charging points at Maxim are now live on ChargePlace Scotland network, a national network of electric vehicle charge points available across Scotland, which now has over 700 live charging units.

New appointment for Davidson Chalmers’ housebuilding team

Stephanie Mackenzie has joined Davidson Chalmers to become a director in the firm’s housebuilding team, a sector where she has built up significant expertise during her legal career.

She joins from CMS where she spent seven years working within that firm’s real estate practice. Prior to that and a spell with the planning team at Semple Fraser, she spent 11 years with Bell & Scott’s housebuilding and strategic land teams supporting housebuilder clients, landowners and funders.

Davidson Chalmers’ managing partner, Andrew Chalmers, said: “We’re very pleased to welcome Stephanie to the firm and into a senior role where she will support our housebuilding clients. In addition to the skills and knowledge she’s developed in her career to date, her high level of experience within the residential development sector makes her a real asset to our team.”

DM Hall brings Mcmanus on board

Chartered surveyor DM Hall has appointed Jonathan Mcmanus as a new director of commercial agency, based in the firm’s Glasgow North office.

He will be part of DM Hall’s West commercial department.

Mr Mcmanus qualified as a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 2000 and went on to work in senior roles with firms such as GVA and Colliers, before setting up Mcmanus Property Consultants in 2009.

He joined Inglis Howie in 2014.

Shepherd and Wedderburn acts as lead legal adviser to EU-wide energy framework review

Shepherd and Wedderburn is lead legal adviser to an international consortium that is examining how electricity and gas frameworks across the EU incentivise innovation and the security of energy supplies.

The consortium – led by Ecorys and comprising Consentec, Ramboll Denmark, TU Wien and Shepherd and Wedderburn – has been awarded funding by DG Energy, which develops European Commission energy policy, to carry out the EU-wide research.

The project will require legal input across all 28 EU member states.

Shepherd and Wedderburn will project manage input from 27 other law firms who are members of the Energy Law Group, a specialist legal network of energy and natural resources specialists and the World Services Group, an independent network comprising 130 independent member firms spanning legal, investment banking and accounting services.

The research project launched in January 2018 and is expected to provide policy options which will ensure regulatory frameworks are fit for purpose to meet Europe’s energy and climate objectives.

The study findings are expected to published later this year.

GDL continues to play its role in creating a greener environment

Ground Developments Ltd’s environmental partnership with Oilfast in Motherwell continues to deliver green benefits with confirmation that Oilfast has planted 418 new trees in Scotland on GDL’s behalf since August 2016.

The move aims to reduce the overall carbon footprint that using gas oil creates for the environment and is a great way for GDL to play its role in making Scotland a greener place to live, work and play.

Kevin McKenzie, managing director for Ground Developments Ltd, said: “We’re very aware of maintaining our green credentials, and it’s important for us and our client’s projects that we do whatever we can to reduce the impact that our work may cause. “Many of our ground engineering techniques aim to offer innovative and cost-effect solutions for our clients, and being able to off-set our gas oil consumption in such a positive way makes an impressive contribution to our approach with clients.

“We’re really proud that 418 trees are now growing across Scotland, thanks to this initiative with Oilfast, and we’re confident there will be many more planted in the future.”

Oilfast supplies GDL with fuel oil, which is used to keep its plant machinery fleet working to its maximum capacity.

Since 2013, Oilfast has planted one tree in Scotland for every delivery of 1100 litres or more of domestic heating oil.

Holiday park bid approved at former Aberdeenshire piggery

Councillors have backed plans for a holiday park at a former Mearns piggery ahead of a final decision next month.

Monarch Leisure and Park Homes is behind the application for 49 chalets, called the Royal Arch Holiday Park, at Dowrieburn in Luthermuir.

Members of Aberdeenshire Council’s Kincardine and Mearns area committee considered the proposals this week and voted in favour.

Now they will go in front of the infrastructure services committee for final approval in March.

Plans for Fasque Estate were also due to be discussed by the committee yesterday, but developer Fasque House Properties Limited withdrew its plans late on Monday evening. A spokesman for Aberdeenshire council said: “It was removed by the planning service as further considerations were being made by the applicant.”

The application by Fasque House properties Limited has been lodged for 115 new houses and 15 conversions, a visitors centre, cafe and farm shop for more than a year and has conditional planning permission.

A separate application has also been lodged for an equestrian centre at the site, which was also withdrawn.

Glenluce wind farm appeal rejected

A Scottish Government reporter has rejected an appeal over a wind farm in Galloway concluding it is not the “right development in the right place”.

RES was refused permission for the 14-turbine Annabaglish project near Glenluce last year.

The company appealed against that decision saying it was “confident” it had got the location right.

However, a reporter concluded it would have a “significant” impact on the landscape and turned it down.

He added that the scale of the development’s contribution towards renewable energy targets was not enough to outweigh its negative effects.

Projects in Inner Moray Firth to benefit from regeneration funding

Work is set to begin to develop and improve the area around the café and recreation area at Rosemarkie Beach.

The Highland LEADER Programme has awarded funding of £37,985 towards the development of two tennis courts, one of which will be used as a multi-sports facility.

The North Kessock Ticket Office Project Group will also benefit from LEADER funding with an award of £59,406. The Group has taken community ownership of the old Pier Building at North Kessock that houses the old ferry ticket office, waiting room and toilets and looks to bring the building from being derelict back into public use.

The Inner Moray Firth North Local Area Partnership is responsible for delivering the LEADER Programme in the Black Isle, Cromarty, Dingwall and Seaforth and Tain and Easter Ross. It has approved funding of £172,854 to date and is encouraging potential applicants to come forward for a share of the remaining funds which must be committed by early 2019.