Building Briefs – November 23rd

A project to improve connections and enhance traffic and pedestrian links in Clydebank has taken a major leap forward after councillors agreed to release £2.3 million of funding.

Members of West Dunbartonshire Council’s infrastructure, regeneration & economic development (IRED) committee today gave the green light for the money to be released for the Connecting Clydebank project, which will improve traffic and pedestrian links between Clydebank town centre and Queens Quay.

The committee also approved the detailed project proposal, which outlines the wider Connecting Clydebank plan.

Sustrans Scotland previously provisionally awarded £2m of match funding to Connecting Clydebank, developed on the back of the successful 2015 Charrette process which saw residents share their vision for the future of the town.

Connecting Clydebank aims to revitalise the civic core of the town, forming essential links between the Town Hall on Glasgow Road, the ongoing multi-million pound Queens Quay regeneration project and the existing town centre.

It will include removing the central reservation between Hall Street and Hume Street, realigning key junctions and raising sections of the road to pavement level to assist pedestrians in crossing the road.

These significant improvements will create a safer and more attractive route from the town centre to Queens Quay in order to encourage active travel such as cycling and walking. It specifically takes in the stretch of the A814 between Clydebank Library and to the west of the Argyll Road junction.

A mandatory 20mph speed limit on this stretch of the A814 will make the area safer for pedestrians and cyclists and, research shows, reduce traffic congestion.

Work to start on new industrial units in Hawick

Work will start next week on the development of new industrial units on Hawick’s Galalaw Business Park, being delivered through the Hawick Action Plan thanks to funding from the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Borders Council (SBC) project will see four industrial units created, providing business development and expansion opportunities. Local contractor Rodger Builders of Earlston has been appointed to carry out the works.

The development of the industrial units is part of a £3.6 million funding package from the Scottish Government for Hawick, which will also see a business incubator centre created in part of the former Armstrong’s building in the town centre and upgraded business facilities in the town’s Tower Mill. Feasibility studies will also be undertaken by the council on other premises in Hawick to inform future opportunities.

Designed by the council’s in-house architects section, the single industrial building at Galalaw will be divided into four units but is flexible, enabling businesses to expand into the adjacent units if required.

The Scottish Government support for Hawick is part of a £10m local economic development capital grant fund, which is also supporting businesses in North Ayrshire, Clackmannanshire and Fife, and which was formally announced in June this year.

Neil Gardiner named new Edinburgh planning convener

Councillor Neil Gardiner has been appointed as the new convener of the City of Edinburgh Council’s planning committee.

Mr Gardiner will oversee the development of citywide planning strategies, as well as decisions on individual planning applications and related issues.

He will also chair the development management sub-committee, which is responsible for decisions on individual planning applications.

Cllr Gardiner, who was elected to the City of Edinburgh Council at the local elections in May, is a qualified architect with 25 years of experience in architecture, urban design and project management in the international construction industry. He has worked in Edinburgh, London, Berlin, São Paulo and Sydney, where he was involved in the construction of the award-winning Olympic Tennis Centre.

He is an active member of the community having also served on a housing association board and a park friends group. He is keen to promote participation in the planning process, including through the school Curriculum for Excellence, encouraging young people to become involved in architecture, urban design and their local built environment.

Dumfries and Galloway property market ‘remains buoyant’

The Dumfries and Galloway property market continues to show healthy levels of activity following a growth in sales and property viewings being handled by property consultancy Galbraith.

The latest figures compiled by Galbraith indicated another strong quarter in terms of residential activity for the firm’s Castle Douglas office, with a 13% increase in the number of property sales completed during the three-month period ending 30 September 2017, compared with the same quarter of 2016.

There was also a 60% increase in the number of property viewings over the same period and a 76% increase in potential buyers registering with the firm in Castle Douglas compared to the previous quarter of 2017.

The Galbraith lettings team in Castle Douglas has also had a positive third quarter, having handled three times the number of property lets than the same quarter last year and having brought 43% more properties available for let to the market.

Councillors back plans for new trampoline park in Dundee

Councillors have approved plans to build Dundee’s first trampoline park at an indoor football centre.

Four five-a-side pitches at SoccerWorld will make way for Dundee’s new, purpose built trampoline activity centre on Old Glamis road, after the city council’s development management committee voted in favour of company Ryze’s revised application.

The previous application had failed to meet with conditions of the local development plan and was bounced back by council officers without being heard in a public council committee meeting.

It is hoped the centre could bring up to 50 jobs to the city.

River Dee Crossing project takes shape

A milestone has been reached on the River Dee Crossing bridge project.

With the 270-metre long structure’s decking now meeting above the river, a new link has been created between Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire as part of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project.

The contractor has had to overcome a number of challenges to complete the crossing’s decking, including the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) which requires careful management of the construction methods used. Other measures in place at the site include directing lighting away from the river and using construction plant with the least noise and vibration impacts.

Once finished, the 35,000-tonne crossing will carry two lanes of traffic in each direction over the River Dee.

South Ayrshire residents invited to submit views on future development

Residents in South Ayrshire are being invited to submit their views over future development in the region.

The council is creating a new Local Development Plan (LDP) and a 10-week consultation on its Main Issues Report is now underway.

The report is the first stage of creating the future LDP and aims to set out options for the plan.

The LDP, which will act as a development guide for the next five to 10 years, will cover all land uses including housing, transport, business and industry, tourism, coastal development and protection, green belt, renewable energy, office development, waste, and woodland.

The deadline for comments on the Main Issues Report is Wednesday, 31 January 2018.

A77 resurfacing project work to start

Work is to start on a £330,000 resurfacing project in East Ayrshire.

Scotland TranServ will start repairing 1km of the A77 Northbound Kilmarnock Bypass, from Spittalhill to Inchgotrick Bridge from 8pm on Friday, 01 December. Work is scheduled to be completed by 6am on Monday, 04 December.

To carry out the works safely, the Northbound carriageway is to close.

Bridge repair works continue at Balfron Station

Bridge repair work is continuing at Balfron Station in Stirlingshire.

Work to repair the structure, which was damaged in a road accident, has been ongoing since mid-September and was expected to be completed in around 14 weeks.

However, Scottish Water said the project is taking longer than anticipated and now estimates the repairs will be completed in spring 2018. Traffic management and existing diversions will remain in place.