Building Briefs – December 4th
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Emtec Group opens new Manchester office
Emtec Group has announced the opening of its new regional office in Manchester, which will primarily support the development of our Facilities Services division in the North.
Regional director Sean Carroll will oversee works in the region and is already adding to an existing client base. The Manchester branch will have full support from Emtec’s Head Office and FM Helpdesk facility, ensuring the firm provides national coverage with first class local delivery.
The opening of this office adds to Emtec Group’s growing presence with nine locations UK wide.
Plans submitted for access improvements at Stirling station
Plans have been submitted to carry out access improvements at Stirling railway station.
The project is being delivered by Network Rail as part of the Stirling-Dunblane-Alloa (SDA) Electrification Project.
The scope of the works includes:
Step-free access will be created by replacing the footbridge between platforms 6 & 9 with a fully accessible structure. The height of the existing footbridge between platforms 2 & 3 will also be raised.
Subject to relevant permissions, the scheme is expected to be completed in 2019.
Work continues on £1.75m Kirkwall flood protection scheme
Work is continuing on a £1.75 million flood alleviation project in Kirkwall.
Contractors Andrew Sinclair Ltd are delivering the scheme on behalf of Orkney Islands Council, which has so far involved the construction of a minimum 1.1 metre high uninterrupted flood barrier running from Ayre Mills to St Catherine’s Place roundabout.
The structure will help protect low lying parts of central Kirkwall against storm surge flooding.
The next phase of work will see the fitting of flood gates and barriers at the Ayre Road car park and the entrance to Kirkwall Pier.
To carry out the scheme safely, access to car parks and Kirkwall pier will be restricted or closed for the following times next week;
The project has been 80% funded by the Scottish Government and was required under the Flood Risk Management Act.
Up to 50 new homes to be delivered by Cadder Housing Association
Cadder Housing Association is to invest £5.6 million to deliver up to 50 new homes at a former school site in Glasgow.
Contractor McTaggart Construction is already on site at the new development, which will include a mix of flats and terraced houses.
The former St Agnes Primary School in Tresta Road closed in 2009 and was subsequently demolished.
Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government have provided £3m of grants towards the project, backed by a £2.6m loan from Bank of Scotland.
Completion is scheduled by November 2018.
Work starts on new council homes in Hamilton
South Lanarkshire Council’s new Home+ housebuilding programme took another leap forward last week with the start of construction on the site of a school site in Hamilton.
A total of 24 two, three and four bedroom semi-detached homes and two bedroom cottage flats, constructed to meet Silver Standard energy efficiency levels, are being built on the site of the former St Peter’s Primary School at Highstonehall Road.
The project has been designed in-house by South Lanarkshire Council and is supported by Scottish Government funding.
The development at Highstonehall Road is being constructed for South Lanarkshire Council by Cruden Building and Renewals.
MP opens Argyll Community Housing Association’s 30th new build home in Connel
Brendan O’Hara, MP for Argyll and Bute, has opened new Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) homes in the village of Connel on the outskirts of Oban.
The 10 new homes opened last week are the 30th to be completed by ACHA on the site in the last three years.
The new homes overlook Loch Etive and the Firth of Lorne and the iconic Connel bridge.
The development which was built by MacLeod Construction of Lochgilphead was funded to a value of £1.593 million with contributions from ACHA, the Scottish Government and Argyll and Bute Council.
The 10 new homes built by ACHA in Connel are part of the Association’s current on site development programme of 122 units across Argyll and Bute.
Faithful+Gould’s Eve Mallon wins RICS Matrics Young Surveyor award
Eve Mallon, from the Glasgow office of project and programme management consultancy Faithful+Gould, has won the Project Management Category at the prestigious RICS Matrics Young Surveyor of the Year awards.
The project manager, who has played a central role in Faithful+Gould’s partnership with the University of Glasgow over the last 18 months, was presented with her award at a ceremony hosted by television presenter Saira Khan, at the Hilton London Bankside hotel last week.
Two of Eve’s Faithful+Gould colleagues in other offices across the UK also won awards on the night, with another four being shortlisted.
Faithful+Gould has an excellent track record of success in the RICS Matrics Young Surveyor of the Year awards. In 2014 Aislinn Wood triumphed in both the Project Manager and overall Young Surveyor of the Year categories, a feat matched by Leanne Kitson a year later who was Young Surveyor of the Year and won the Quantity Surveying category.
New West Lothian flats ready in time for Christmas
Construction is now completed on the West Lothian Development Alliance development of 12 accessible cottage flats for affordable rent on Foulshiels Road in Stoneyburn.
Almond Housing Association developed the homes on behalf of the Alliance and ownership of the properties has now been transferred to landlord Horizon Housing Association.
The flats have all been allocated by Horizon Housing Association and customised to meet individual particular needs. The new tenants have keys for their brand new homes and will be comfortably settled in time for Christmas.
The 12 homes are designed to suit people with a range of needs and two are built to full wheelchair standard. All the flats have inclusive design features, offering flexibility and adaptability particularly for people with age or health related conditions. The properties also benefit from ‘Silver Standard’ energy efficiency levels with installation of photovoltaic (solar) panels. Financial support for the development is being provided by Scottish Government, Horizon and West Lothian Council.
Tenants started moving in to their brand new homes this week and the feedback so far has been very positive.
Glasgow-based construction firm CCG was the main contractor for the project, constructing the new homes using a closed panel timber frame system that is manufactured in the company’s bespoke ‘Off-Site Manufacturing’ facility, CCG OSM. This form of construction ensures quality and offers enhanced environmental standards as well as a faster speed of construction.
Construction work starts as homeless village begins to take shape
Diggers have moved on to the site of a new homeless village in Edinburgh being delivered by social enterprise sandwich chain Social Bite.
The project in Granton will consist of ten two-bedroom homes, providing eco-friendly accommodation for 20 people as they aim to reintegrate into society.
It had been hoped that members of Edinburgh’s homeless community could be housed before Christmas, but the first residents are now expected to move in by next spring.
Builders said the arrival of the diggers marked a milestone in construction after months of ground preparation and planning on a 1.5-acre site of vacant council land.
The village will be made up of transportable houses that are built off site, and a communal building where residents can eat together, socialise, work, learn and receive support.
Work so far has been funded by the 2016 CEO Sleep Out where more than 300 of Scotland’s most influential people slept rough.
More than 7,000 people have already signed up for Sleep in the Park this weekend.
£2.6m awarded to innovative local green energy solutions
Twelve projects to create local, green energy solutions have been awarded a share of £2.6 million, as part of the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP).
Projects in Glencoe, Callander, Aviemore, Stromness and St Andrews were amongst those to be awarded a share of the funding.
Making the announcement, Paul Wheelhouse, minister for business, innovation and energy, said: “The Scottish Government has set some of the most ambitious carbon reduction targets on the planet – exceeding the requirements of the Paris agreement - and is making excellent progress towards meeting them.
“We have also set our sights on eradicating fuel poverty – which is an unacceptable blight on too many households in Scotland in 2017 - as energy prices have risen steadily, at a time when wages have been depressed due to a weak UK economy and austerity.
“These twin challenges drive our ambition for innovative local energy projects, such as those for which we are today announcing £2.6m of funding, as these will provide many consumers, including in some of Scotland’s most remote areas, with an alternative, greener, and potentially cheaper energy source.
“The construction and maintenance of these projects will also have the added benefit of creating and sustaining jobs, and in doing so can bolster local economies.”
Ten projects received LCITP development support to produce Investment Grade Business Cases.
LCITP support of £550,000 has been awarded to these 10 projects, which will be matched by at least £550,000 from project partners.
Two projects received LCITP capital support of £1.95 million - match funded by Scottish Government District Heating Loan Fund.
Public meeting to discuss Earlston flooding and affordable housing plans
Updates on the Earlston Flood Study and plans for affordable housing in the village will be discussed at a public meeting this month.
The meeting on Tuesday 12 December at 7pm in Earlston Church Hall is being hosted by Scottish Borders Council (SBC), in conjunction with Earlston Community Council.
The event will be split into two sections, with SBC’s Flood and Coastal Management Team firstly providing further details on the initial findings of its study and the future study programme.
Eildon Housing Association will also provide a presentation outlining their initial plans to deliver affordable homes on the former Earlston High School site, which has the capacity for up to 55 new homes.
A question and answer session will follow each presentation, with the meeting chaired by Leaderdale and Melrose Councillor Kevin Drum. All Earlston residents are welcome to attend.
New set of A9 dualling ground investigations to start next week
The work on the Glen Garry to Crubenmore section is due to get underway on Monday 11 December and will finish up for the festive break on Friday 15 December.
Work will recommence on Wednesday 3 January 2018 and is due to be completed by the end of March 2018.
The work on the Dalraddy to Slochd section is due to get underway on Monday 11 December and will finish up for the festive break on Friday 22 December. Work will recommence on Monday 8 January 2018 and is due to be completed by the end of March 2018.
Although the vast majority of the work will be carried out away from the existing road and will not require traffic management, some traffic management measures will be required when necessary to allow work beside the carriageway to be carried out safely. This will include alternate single file traffic sections controlled by temporary traffic signals.
Pupils’ help to pave the way for Glasgow’s latest district heating scheme
School pupils from St Mungo’s Primary in Townhead, Glasgow helped the University of Strathclyde renew Rottenrow Gardens following engineering works to the area.
Forty-six pupils were invited to plant 21 fruit trees in the gardens to replace trees as part of works to install a network of pipes for the University’s new £20 million Combined Heat and Power (CHP) District Heating system.
The children were helped by Glasgow Lord Provost Eva Bolander to plant seven apple, pear and plum trees and received some gifts, including gardening gloves and their own personal hand trowels.
The tree planting event is part of the University’s ‘Strathclyde Commitment’ – a community benefit programme which involves a range of local projects with an emphasis on apprenticeships and engaging with community groups and initiatives.
The CHP District Heating system is part of a £650m investment over ten years by Strathclyde in its campus infrastructure and will reduce the university’s carbon-dioxide emissions by 4,500 tonnes and save £2m annually.
Vital Energi is designing and installing the new low carbon system and took time out from its schedule to visit St. Mungo’s Primary School to speak to the pupils about the work it is doing and how a new heating system will benefit the environment.
The system, part-funded by the Scottish Funding Council, will see a new 3.3MWe CHP engine and 24MW of boiler plant located in a new Energy Centre on John Street deliver both heating and electricity via 2,000 meters of pipes and over 1,000 meters of cable. The network can be expanded in future.
The CHP district heating system will be operational at the end of October 2018.
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