Building Briefs – July 20th

An empty schoolhouse in Wester Ross will be transformed into two affordable dwellings thanks to an innovative funding package secured by The Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust (HSCHT) and the Coigach Community Development Company.

Secured with support from the Scottish Government, the Nationwide Foundation and the Highland Council, the funding will see the disused schoolhouse in the remote community of Achiltibuie, Coigach given a new lease of life.

Construction is expected to begin shortly, with the homes due for occupation by new tenants later this year.

HSCHT will oversee the development and the future housing management of the properties, which will be made available to people in housing need once the renovation is completed.

David Somerville Architects has redesigned the property, improving the standards with increased insulation and a responsive heating system resulting in low running costs.

HSCHT received funding of £120,000 from the Nationwide Foundation through its Decent, Affordable Homes strategy. This funding also contributed towards the completion of another property last year, Druim Garbh, owned by the Acharacle Community Company.

New housing proposal for old B&Q site

The firm behind the New Waverley development in the heart of the Old Town has submitted plans for another project in the Capital.

Artisan Real Estate have submitted a proposal of application notice for a residential scheme on the B&Q site at 13 Warriston Road.

The development will be called Canonmills Garden.

A public consultation exhibition will be held on July 29.

Double celebration at Clark Contracts

Over 700 years of service has been recognised by construction, refurbishment and maintenance contractor, Clark Contracts, as the company also celebrated 10 years in its purpose built McFarlane Street head office in Paisley.

The very special double celebration, attended by the company’s current workforce, recognised 47 staff who have notched up more than ten years service, with a combined impressive total of 704 years service between them. Founded in 1978, Clark Contracts moved into its McFarlane Street HQ in June 2006.

Some of the long serving employees are site managers who started out as apprentices at Clark Contracts and have progressed through the company’s Academy, to now act as mentors to new apprentices. Others include Hailey Allan, the company’s business development manager who joined as a trainee administration assistant and was supported to study at college and university, whilst working full time, graduating with a 1st class honours degree in Marketing and Management. Another is Gerry Cummins, who started as a graduate quantity surveyor in 2004 and is now a director of the company.

In addition to celebrating long serving employees, Clark Contracts has welcomed 50 new employees into the business in 2016 due to continued growth. The new positions have included contracts managers, quantity surveyors and a number of Academy positions including apprentices and trainees across the company who will be supported through college and university.

Lack of suitable homes for ‘last time buyers’

Over half a million UK homeowners aged 55 or over are unwittingly blocking family homes because they want to move but can’t due to a lack of suitable housing, a new report has found.

According to the annual homeowner survey conducted by YouGov for HomeOwners Alliance and BLP Insurance, one in five (19 per cent) homeowners aged 55 or over considered moving in the past two years but have not done so; equating to more than 2 million homeowners.

A total of 23 per cent of homeowners aged 55 or over who considered moving say lack of suitable housing was the main reason they did not do so. This equates to more than 500,000 homeowners.

The survey, conducted by YouGov for HomeOwners Alliance and BLP Insurance, found that 6 per cent of homeowners age fifty-five or older say they have moved in the two past years and a further 19 per cent have considered moving but not done so.

A lack of the right kind of homes is the main reason for older homeowners deciding to stay put (23 per cent of homeowners age 55+ who considered a move in the past two years say this is the primary reason for not moving).

The survey has revealed that when thinking about a future move, top priorities are similar regardless of age. Good build quality (71 per cent), spaciousness of rooms (72 per cent) and parking (69 per cent) top the list. However, compared with UK homeowners generally, a greater proportion of homeowners age 55 or older identify availability of parking (77 per cent vs 69 per cent), low running costs (70 per cent vs 59 per cent), proximity to shops (66 per cent vs 55 per cent), good transport links (56 per cent vs 47 per cent) and living on one level (36 per cent vs 24 per cent) as important criteria in their next new home.

When considering new build properties as an option, older homeowners see new builds as being particularly strong on low running costs (52 per cent) but less likely to deliver on spaciousness of rooms (23 per cent), the amount of available green space (23 per cent) and providing living on one level (12 per cent). Being near to amenities and good transport links are also aspects that are seen as less typical of new build homes.

Council renews Whitelaw Brae turbine opposition

Scottish Borders Council’s planning committee has agreed to renew its opposition to a proposed wind farm near Tweedsmuir.

It comes despite some changes to the scheme by developers Whitelaw Brae Wind Farm Development Ltd.

Committee members backed officials’ concerns regarding the visual impact on a remote part of the Borders.

Morrison continues to work on £56m Shetland high school project

Morrison Construction is continuing with work on a £56 million secondary school project in the Shetland Islands.

The contractor is building the new Anderson High School and Halls of Residence development for hub North Scotland at Lerwick.

As part of the scheme, Shetland Facilities Management (SFM) Security has provided Morrison with a biometric security system which gives an accurate count of the workforce in each of the construction site’s two zones, split by company and trade discipline, for not only HSSE requirements but also emergency response, robust time and attendance recording and to capture the data and metrics required for project controls.

The Anderson High School project is to be completed by summer 2017.

Work to begin on Dumfries neighbourhood redevelopment project

Construction work is to begin on a neighbourhood redevelopment project in Dumfries.

The scheme is part of the ‘Neighbourhood Street Design Project’ and is to get underway on Monday, 25 July.

Proposals involve changing the layouts of Cumberland Street, Brooke Street, McLellan Street, Queen Street and Shakespeare Street, in the vicinity of the Theatre Royal, to create a more pedestrian friendly environment.

The development is being undertaken in parallel with a Housing Renewal project by the council and includes building new ‘affordable’ housing, providing grants to property owners for essential repairs, the renewal of cast iron Victorian fencing, the delivery of energy efficiency targets and bringing empty homes back into use.

Plans for the scheme, which is jointly funded by Sustrans Scotland, Transport Scotland and the council, includes:

• Re-laying of pavements on McLellan Street with high quality stone and raising up of each junction in the neighbourhood to pavement level

• Installation of two new public spaces at ‘gateways’ to the neighbourhood. Artwork, to be manufactured by a local blacksmith, has been designed by the artist NADFLY in partnership with residents

• An upgrade of the public space outside the Theatre Royal with an extension of the public space and placement of seating, greenery, trees and cycle parking

• Placement of trees and greenery to enhance the street space.