Building Briefs - January 8th

• CessCon Decom secures major contract as it launches Fife facility

The facility, which has been in the making for the last couple of years, was awarded its first contract in December 2020 for the onshore decommissioning, dismantlement, and recycling of Spirit Energy’s Morecambe Bay DP3 and DP4 facilities in the East Irish Sea, by Allseas.

The contract involves the processing of over 23,000 tonnes of material at CessCon Decom’s facility in Methil.

CessCon Decom secured this contract as a direct result of a competitive tender and will commence work immediately. The first structures are planned to arrive at the Energy Park Fife facility in early 2021.

InvestFife – Fife Council Economic Development Team – has been working with Scottish Enterprise and CessCon Decom, which has included a £7m investment programme to expand the site to allow access for larger structures to be dismantled. It’s very much been a team approach, with help and support from Fife Council’s planning team, investment secured from a range of sources, as well as InvestFife helping to source the right workforce, and to ensure the correct supply chains are set up, to benefit local businesses and communities.

This inaugural contract with Allseas has gained much traction and has certainly put Fife on the map as a Scottish decommissioning location.

• Hydrogen given green light at Islay distllery 

UK‐based green hydrogen energy services company Protium Green Solutions has received more than £70,000 in funding to complete a feasibility study on incorporating innovative hydrogen combustion technology into Bruichladdich Distillery.

Part of the BEIS Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP), the project is the next step in assessing the application of alternative fuels at island-based Bruichladdich.

As the only Scotch distillery to be B Corp certified, Bruichladdich is validated as a business that balances profit and purpose. Building on their achievements thus far, they aim to decarbonise their production process by 2025. Feasibility studies into alternative green energy solutions have therefore been underway for some time. Exploring the potential of those sources will continue amidst this new testing, with the opportunity to be industry-leaders in hydrogen readily embraced.

Hydrogen presents a significant opportunity for the whisky industry and Islay itself, which currently uses fuel oil to meet its heating demand. Due to the remote location of many distilleries across Scotland, its implementation is a critical step forward in enabling producers to work towards net zero and in ensuring their operations can benefit from on‐site power sources that are otherwise hindered by pre‐existing grid limitations.

The feasibility project, named HyLaddie, has been funded by the Small Business Research Initiative Green Distilleries Competition and will explore the deployment of an on‐site Deuterium Dynamic Combustion Chamber (DCC™) as a viable mechanism to meet Bruichladdich’s heating requirements.

• ESPC: Q4 2020 sees significant year-on-year increase in homes coming to market

The volume of property sales in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders during the final quarter of 2020 rose by 39.7% compared to last year, according to the latest data released by ESPC.

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

39.6% more homes in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders were listed on ESPC in the last quarter of 2020 compared to the previous year. In the capital, 54.8% more properties came to market over the past three months compared to last year.

The average property selling price was £269,542, up 8.1% compared to last year. In Edinburgh, the average selling price was £286,052, up 6.3% year-on-year.

Two bedroom flats in Portobello and Joppa saw a 15.5% increase in average selling price, rising to £273,591 – the average Home Report valuation of two bedroom flats listed in these areas over the past three months was also up 20.1% year-on-year, meaning that higher value properties coming to market likely accounts for some this significant increase.

However, two bedroom flats in the New Town and West End saw a 15.3% decrease, dropping to £397,183. This decrease is partially due to more lower value properties in the New Town being listed on ESPC in recent months compared to last year.

Areas in Fife also saw some significant year-on-year increases in average selling prices, with properties in East Fife selling for an average of £277,619, up 18.6% compared to last year. Average prices in West Fife and Kinross were also up 15.9% year-on-year. In both areas, the increase is partially due to a greater number of larger, higher-value properties being sold.

Over the past three months, the average property selling price for the Scottish Borders was £263,323, up 14.8% compared to last year.

In Midlothian, properties prices were up 10.6% compared to last year while West Lothian properties saw an 11.5% increase in average selling price. In East Lothian, the average property selling price rose by 6.3%.

Across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders, the average percentage of Home Report valuation achieved between October and December 2020 was 103.8%. In Edinburgh, properties achieved 104.3% on average.

Properties in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders also sold faster compared to last year, with the median time for a property to be placed under offer at 18 days compared to 22 days last year. In the Borders, the median time for a property to be placed under offer was 26 days compared to 100 days last year, which is a significant drop.

• Argyll and Bute projects resume as contractors return

Work continues to move forward on major projects across Argyll and Bute following the announcement from the Scottish Government that construction sites can remain open under Level 4 restrictions following strict Covid guidelines.

Contractors have returned to the Helensburgh Waterfront Development site. The steel construction is well underway for the new leisure centre. The focus now moves to the completion of the rock armour to improve coastal flood defences and pouring the new swimming pool floor. The £22 million investment includes a state of the art swimming pool and leisure centre, improved green space and community meeting areas and retail opportunities.

The refurbishment of Rothesay Pavilion is gathering pace with reinstated temporary heating to the building, fabric protection works completing and work due to start on protecting the mechanical plant and equipment currently onsite.

Councillor Gary Mulvaney, policy lead, financial services and major projects, said: “In such challenging times, we are encouraged by the latest news that construction can still go ahead. Building for the future in Argyll and Bute has never been more important to our communities and businesses. Major projects such as the Helensburgh Waterfront Development and Rothesay Pavilion offer hope and the first green shoots of recovery, and will provide a much needed boost to the local economy. 

We want Argyll and Bute to offer the best in visitor and community facilities and look forward to welcoming people back to this special place when it is safe to do so. It’s encouraging to see even in the most difficult of days, progress is still being made.”

• The Wise Group appointed by Inverclyde Council to help lower home energy bills

Social enterprise The Wise Group has been chosen by Inverclyde Council to help lower home energy bills for 1,000 elderly residents in the area.

Funding of £100,000 has been awarded to the Wise Group’s Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) to help keep Inverclyde’s elderly residents warm and well this winter.

In previous years, Warm Home grants of £75 per household have been available, but this year, Inverclyde Council has doubled this to £150. Support is available to any household who has an occupant aged 75 or older.

The local authority has committed to providing a maximum of £20,000 in additional funding in the event there is greater demand for support.

The Wise Group will be working closely with the council and partners across the local authority area to ensure the message of support available gets to those who need it.

• Play improvement investment to be approved for Dundee

An additional investment of over £320,000 is set to be made to improve and enhance play provision for residents across Dundee.

Councillors will be asked to approve proposals that include the installation of balance beams, rope bridges, somersault bars, net climbing equipment, monkey bars, suspension bridges and log steps, as well as new accompanying benches and bins.

Dundee City Council’s Neighbourhood Services Committee will consider the Play Framework Improvement plans at its next meeting on January 11.

The full details of the improvement works can be found on the Dundee City Council website.