Building Briefs - February 3rd

• ESPC: Growth in new property listings slows as selling prices increase year-on-year 

In Edinburgh, the average property selling price was £281,386, up 5.3% compared to the previous year.  

Two bedroom flats in Portobello and Joppa saw a 21.7% year-on-year increase in average selling price, while three bedroom houses in Cramond, Barnton and Cammo saw a 17.1% decrease. 

This decrease was primarily due to a greater proportion of lower value three bedroom houses in these areas coming to market this year - over the past three months, these properties achieved 109.1% of Home Report valuation on average, up 5.5 percentage points compared to the previous year.  

From November 2020 to January 2021, East Fife properties experienced a 26.6% increase in average selling price year-on-year, while those in West Fife & Kinross saw a 9.8% increase. Properties in Dunfermline experienced a 14.5% rise in average selling price year-on-year.  

Properties in East Lothian and Midlothian experienced a 9.4% and 9.1% increase in average selling price year-on-year, respectively, while those in West Lothian saw a 1.5% decrease.  

Between November 2020 and January 2021, the Scottish Borders saw property prices rise by 15.6% year-on-year to £263,283.  

Over the past three months, the number of new property listings was up 11.7% in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders – Edinburgh saw a 21.2% increase.  

However, this increase was concentrated in November and December, with January seeing fewer properties coming to market year-on-year. This could be due to the impact of current lockdown measures and home schooling, with people potentially choosing to hold off until later in the year to sell.  

The volume of property sales in these areas over the past three months has risen by a significant 45.3% compared to last year. This reflects how busy the market was in the later summer and early autumn last year.  

The top selling properties by sales volume were two bedroom flats in Leith and three bedroom houses in Dunfermline.  

Between November 2020 and January 2021, the average percentage of Home Report valuation achieved by properties in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders was 103.3%, compared to 102.4% last year. Edinburgh properties achieved 103.5% compared to 103.8% last year.  

Over the past three months, the median time for a property to be placed under offer in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders was 19 days, four days faster than last year. In the Borders, properties experienced much faster selling times, with it taking a median time of 26 days for properties to be placed under offer, 41 days faster than last year.  

• VIBES award for Dundonald Links clubhouse development

Dundonald Links has been awarded a ‘Good Practice Award’ from the VIBES Scottish Environment Business Awards 2020 in recognition of the collaborative working with main contractor Thomas Johnstone Ltd on the environmental sustainability approach to the development of its new clubhouse.

The £25 million project includes a striking new clubhouse and innovative lodge accommodation featuring two, four or six bedrooms which has been custom-designed with golfers in mind. The lodges will offer bag storage and drying areas, en-suite bathrooms, large living spaces and fully-equipped kitchen and dining facilities. A £1m investment is also being made in the golf course itself, overseen by the course’s original designer, Kyle Phillips.

Managing the environmental impact of the development has been crucial and the award recognises the efficient use of resource and best environmental practice, which includes a zero-waste aim and a commitment to carbon reduction along with the protection of the surrounding nature, which is ever important to Dundonald Links.

The awards are a partnership between the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the Scottish Government, Energy Saving Trust, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Water, Zero Waste Scotland and NatureScot and recognise efficient use of resources and best environmental practice.

• ‘Next level’ apartments at landmark Dunfermline development launch to market

The next collection of apartments at a landmark development in Dunfermline has launched to market, including a rare one-bedroom apartment with a private balcony.

Spanning the first, second and third floors of “The Depot” at the celebrated The Linen Quarter, the five new properties range from 823sq ft to -1,093 sq ft one and two-bedroom apartments.  

The Depot comprises the new build element of a wider refurbishment of the former Grade-A listed Duracord factory, Pilmuir Works, one of Dunfermline’s most notable landmarks.

Each apartment has been individually designed by JM Architects, who also oversaw the refurbishment of the 27 apartments at The Damask, the renovated element of the development.

• Plans submitted to upgrade power line between Perth & Kinross and north-east Scotland

Plans to upgrade a power line running between the north-east and Perth and Kinross have been submitted to the Scottish Government.

The application by SSEN seeks to improve the existing transmission line between Kintore in Aberdeenshire and Blairingone, east of Stirling.

The upgrade will increase the line’s capacity to 400kV, which SSEN says will support the growth of renewable energy in the fight against climate change.

• Forthcoming Spaces for People works set for Dundee

Work at four locations in Dundee to make it safer for walking or cycling for commuting, essential trips and exercise is set to get underway in the spring.

The schemes, part of the second phase of the Spaces for People programme will improve footpath and cycleway connections creating safer routes to schools and communities in Downfield, Kirkton, Fintry and Broughty Ferry.

The works include footpath and road crossing improvements at St Andrew’s Primary and footway improvements at St Paul’s High School, Longhaugh Road and West Grange Road. 

It is hoped that the projects, which are part of a raft of measures backed by a £2m grant from Sustrans will start in April.

Funded by Scottish Government and managed by Sustrans Scotland, Spaces for People is a temporary infrastructure programme in Scotland offering funding and support to make it safer for people who choose to walk, cycle or wheel for permitted journeys and exercise, while physical distancing is in place during Covid-19 and as we transition out of lockdown.

• Huntly and Keith residents suffer gas outage

Around 4,500 properties in Huntly and Keith were without gas overnight following an outage.

The outage began early on Tuesday 2 February and SGN engineers are working to restore the supply.

Engineers were on site from around 10 am to investigate the cause and residents on the Priority Services Register were then contacted to receive extra support.

At 3.30 pm, all residents impacted by the outage were requested to turn off their gas supply at the meter. All gas supplies remained off overnight and may do so today also.

SGN paid tribute to the “fantastic support” of local partner organisations, including Aberdeenshire Council, Moray Council, the Red Cross and Police Scotland, who are helping to make sure the most vulnerable members of the community stay safe.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has also shared useful safety information on their website about using portable heaters and wood burning stoves.

Moray Council said it is identifying vulnerable council house tenants, Health & Social Care Moray is doing the same for its vulnerable clients, and the Grampian Coronavirus Assistance Hub is making calls to those on the shielding list in Moray to check what support is required.

The council is also contacting its 450 council house tenants with gas heating, to determine what further support might be needed. Council tenants who haven’t heard from the local authority yet can request additional support by calling 0300 123 4566.

• Councillors reject bid for four new homes in Plean

Stirling Council planners have rejected plans to knock down a house in Plean and replace it with four new homes.

Michael Macritchie had applied to demolish the bungalow at Cedarwood in President Kennedy Drive and build four semi-detached houses.

Among points raised by objectors was the possibility that bats and birds could be roosting in the existing house, with other concerns cited including overlooking of property and loss of privacy, drainage issues and access.

In their decision, council planners said: “The housing to the west of the site is not the same in that these are single houses within spacious plots and are a different pattern of development and as such, the proposed siting and layout will not respect or contribute positively with the surrounding built environment.

“It is accepted that there is planning history of back land housing development on this peripheral part of the village in Plean, however, this does not provide a basis for this proposal to demolish an existing house and create a gap/ infill site and tandem development pattern as proposed. It is considered that the proposed siting of the buildings will have a negative impact on amenity when compared to surrounding development.

“Currently, there is one house on this plot which is in keeping with the size, shape, amenity and the siting of its surrounds.

“It is considered that the introduction of four semidetached properties in this location would disrupt the pattern of plot sizes, shape, amenity and siting which would be out of keeping with the surrounding environment.”