Building Briefs – June 10th

• Home Fix Scotland unveils new fleet of vans

The first delivery of ten vans will help operatives carry out repairs and maintenance to over 5,500 homes across Inverclyde.

Each vehicle has been carefully wrapped in Home Fix Scotland branding while eagle-eyed residents will also be able to spot some of the organisation’s accreditations on the rear of the van.

The new fleet will provide a welcome boost to customers and staff alike. In addition to being high-spec, the new vans will help to facilitate productivity by ensuring maximum driver comfort and safety.

There is also a surplus of space with important provisions being added to include a full range of hygiene and handwashing facilities. This further underlines Home Fix Scotland’s commitment to keeping staff and customers safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

While the new vans may be ergonomic, they are also economically viable and more environmentally friendly than their predecessors with a drastic reduction in carbon emissions.

New technology will also vastly improve the customer’s experience by providing real-time notifications of the driver’s location.

• Causewayhead housing plan rejected

Plans to demolish a derelict Causewayhead shop and replace it with two semi-detached homes have been refused by Stirling Council.

Mohammed Niaz has submitted an application to knock down the former Johal Convenience Store at 6 Munro Avenue then erect two semi-detached houses and a double garage.

Stirling Council planners have now refused the application agreeing that the proposal would be overdevelopment of the site and not in keeping with the area.

• Restaurant plan for Glasgow hairdressers

Permission is being sought to turn a hairdressing salon in Glasgow city centre into a restaurant.

The plans are for a two-level eatery at 96 St Vincent Street in premises currently occupied by Toni & Guy.

• Aberdeen road layout work continues

Work is continuing to create more space for pedestrians to allow them to better physically distance while walking or standing in queues in Aberdeen’s city centre streets.

The temporary measures will allow local residents and people who work in or visit the city to walk, cycle, and queue for buses and shops, bars, and restaurants while adhering to physical distancing guidance.

The works are being carried out by Aberdeen City Council after a ring-fenced £1.76 million grant from the Scottish Government’s Spaces for People fund which is being administered by Sustrans, and measures taking place in several locations around the city include temporary pedestrianisation, pavement widening, and bike lanes.

The city centre, and Union Street in particular, faces challenges because pavements are not wide enough to accommodate the current two-metre level of physical distancing.

The works includes installation of new signs, hard barriers, double yellow lines, along with removing irrelevant signs and adding cones to streets in Chapel Street, Rose Street and Thistle Street, Upperkirkgate, Schoolhill and Union Street to widen pavements. Additional sections of road in these areas will be pedestrianised. The pedestrianised areas will be pedestrianised at all times and service vehicles only will be allowed access on these pedestrianised areas from 6pm to 10am. Regular traffic will not be allowed at any time.

• A82 Drumnadrochit to Temple Pier set for essential surfacing improvements

Essential work to address a section of the A82 between Drumnadrochit and Temple Pier is set to get underway from Sunday night.

BEAR Scotland said it is crucial that essential surfacing at this section of the A82 is carried out in order to maintain the integrity and safety of the trunk road network at this location, helping to ensure it remains safe and reliable for key workers, deliveries and those making essential journeys. 

The improvements originally began in March but were postponed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The overnight project has now been rescheduled to start on Sunday 14 June and will take place over four nights between 8pm and 6am, with works due to be completed by 6am Thursday 18 June.