Building Briefs - July 10th

Explosives are to be used on the next phase of the £745 million Aberdeen bypass project.

The first rock drilling and blasting for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) will begin later this month, to help the construction team lower the ground to the new road level.

The blasting programme will begin at Rothnick and Cleanhill, north of Cookney, where a section of the seven-mile Fastlink is being built.

It is expected the works, to remove rock which cannot be shifted in any other way, will take about 14 weeks. Residents are being advised to expect one blast each weekday between 10am and 4pm.

Before the work begins on July 22, the construction team will advise nearby homeowners and businesses what to expect.

Alan Gibson, general manager for Aberdeen Roads Ltd, said: “Safety is the most important factor as we move this construction programme forward and ensuring the local community is aware of these major earthworks and blasting operations is a vital part of our planning process.

“When blasting is due to take place, a specially qualified expert will make sure there are no people or vehicles within a specific distance of the site before allowing the detonation to happen.

“These works will be carried out with minimal disruption to surrounding communities as our specialist contractors have significant experience in this type of work. People nearby may hear a dull thud immediately after the blast and may see a small plume of dust.” A series of sirens will alert the community and workers that a blast is about to take place. The first siren will sound for 30 seconds before the detonation, and then immediately before it there will be three short bursts of noise. When the operation is complete, the siren will sound twice.

Rock excavated will be reused for embankments and other purposes.

Dundee engineering expands workforce by 37

Dundee-based specialist engineer Galloway Group, has created 37 jobs on the back of an improving order book.

The firm said 33 of the new roles are its manufacturing plant at Wester Gourdie. It also has a site in Dewsbury.

Managing director Jim Mathieson said: “The fact that we’ve been hiring on this scale underlines our continuing business growth and ambitious plans for the future.”

Demand for Glasgow office space rising

Commercial real estate specialists Jones Lang LaSalle has revealed office space take-up in Glasgow rose durung the second quarter.

The company said that 97,140 square feet was let in the centre of the city, up around 45 per cent on the same period last year.

The largest city centre deal in the three months to the end of June was for call centre firm Teleperformance which took 27,522 square feet at the Cuprum building in the city’s Cadogan Square.

JLL said the headline rent in the period was £29.50 per square foot and that is expected to rise in the second half of the year.

Average Scots rents hit all-time high

Average rents in Scotland reached a new peak in May, according to the latestScotland Buy-to-Let Index from Your Move.

The report by one of Scotland’s largest lettings agent networks said the average Scottish rent reached an all-time high of £544 in May 2015, an increase of 1 per cent on the previous month.

Scottish rents rose by an average of 0.1 per cent per month over the prior six months.

Average residential rents in Scotland have now risen 2.7 per cent — equivalent to £14 — in the past year, which is the fastest annual increase in rental prices for nine months.

Brian Moran, lettings director at Your Move Scotland, said: “The Scottish rental market has finally shed its winter coat, and is starting to emerge brighter-eyed and bushy-tailed for the summer months. Growth has more than doubled since March, when annual rent rises were only 1.3 per cent.

“To put this into context, we’ve just turned a full circle. After a downtrend in rent growth over the winter months, we’re now back on par with the rate of rises a year ago. In fact, at the same time last year, rents were rising at a moderately faster pace, with 2.8% annual growth in May 2014.

“Affordability is one of the main handicaps reining back private sector rents from rising even faster, but with recent boosts to wage growth, most household incomes are weighing in higher, and tenants can finally afford to pay more. However, this needs to go hand-in-hand with supply. With a strong economy and sturdy jobs market, demand for homes to let is standing tall. The stock of available housing needs to rise to match this level to maintain the delicate balance with rent rises, and tenant incomes.”