Building Briefs - October 20th

• Bancon Homes to headline sponsor Banchory Bonfire and Fireworks Display

Organised by Banchory and District Round Table, the event is returning after a break in 2020 due to COVID and expects to welcome up to 3,000 people from the local area and further afield.

Banchory and District Round Table is a voluntary organisation whose main mission is to support local charities and to this end 100% of the profits from this event will be channelled back into charitable causes in the Banchory area.

Entry is free with donations requested on the night. Gates open at 6pm, with the Bonfire lit at 6.30pm and Fireworks Display at 7pm.

Allan Clow, managing director of Bancon Homes, said: “We’re delighted to be the Banchory Bonfire and Firework Display’s headline sponsor. As we all know the last year has been very tough for everyone and we have all missed community events like this. As a local company, we therefore felt it was very important for us to give the Display all the support we could. It will be a fantastic evening, with any profits being given to charity.”

•  Work starts next week on Burghmuir Road underpass

Work to renovate Stirling’s underpass on Burghmuir Road will begin on October 25.

Structural repairs and improvements will be undertaken to the underside of the bridge deck above the A9 Burghmuir Road and the adjacent walls on the A9.

These critical works are part of a wider programme of renovations to the underpass and improvements to the area surrounding Stirling Railway Station and Goosecroft Road.

The initial phase of the works will focus on the Burghmuir Road underpass and will be undertaken on the following dates: Northbound carriageway (October 25 – November 19) and Southbound carriageway (January 10 – February 25).

These works will only be undertaken on the A9 Burghmuir Road and there will be no impact to the operation of Goosecroft Road or access to the railway station or bus station during these works. Two-way traffic flow will be maintained on the A9 Burghmuir Road, with a contraflow system in operation and a reduced speed limit in place for the duration of the works.

An embargo on other road works in the immediate area has been put in place to avoid conflicting works being undertaken which may impact traffic. To allow for preparation on site for the works to commence, there will be an initial closure of the southbound tunnel underpass between 6am-12pm on October 24, and full night time closures of both tunnels between 11pm-6am from October 24-26.

As part of the project the lighting within the underpass will be upgraded to provide new LED lighting.

The future improvements to the railway station forecourt and Goosecroft Road will progress later in 2022/23 as part of Scotrail’s Stirling Station Gateway Project. This will enhance and improve the streetscape in front of Stirling Station, which will include improved access and pedestrian and cycle routes to the station and city centre.

• Homes to rise out of Bannockburn bakery

A former bakery in Bannockburn is to be turned into new homes.

Stirling Council planners have conditionally approved an application by Kamesby Ltd for a change of use of the bakery and ancillary building at 17 Newmarket to create two three-bed, semi-detached houses with four parking spaces.

• New adult respite centre ready for first guests

A brand new, purpose built respite facility for adults with additional support needs is ready to welcome its first guests.

Red Rose House, which is adjacent to the new Lockhart ASN Campus in Stevenston, is an eight-bedroom, state of the art facility providing respite breaks for adults known to North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s Learning Disabilities Service as part of their care and support plan.

Each ensuite bedroom is equipped with comfortable, homely furnishings and mood lighting, with rooms opening out into a fantastic landscaped garden with a water feature, bbq and a heated hang-out den.

The facility also has an activity wing with an area for arts and crafts, a hi-tech sensory room, quiet room, a games room with sofas and TV, and a kitchen area where visitors can eat together or learn cooking skills.

Over 70 respite visitors enjoyed a tour of the new building this week, with feedback being extremely positive.

The adjacent 8-bed facility for children with additional support needs, known as Roslin House, opened earlier this year.

• Dundee high school extension proposal to be discussed

A £4.2 million commitment by Perth & Kinross Council to extend Harris Academy, so that pupils from Invergowrie Primary can continue to attend the Dundee secondary, is set to be discussed by Dundee City Council’s children and families services committee.

A recent capital funding decision by the Perth authority follows a consultation exercise in Dundee which looked at removing Invergowrie Primary School’s status as an associated primary to Harris Academy.

But now the Dundee committee is being recommended to move forward with Perth & Kinross Council financing the capital cost of extending Harris.

The children and families services committee meets on October 25.

• Drive-thru proposed at Ibrox service station

Plans have been submitted for a mixed-use redevelopment of an Ibrox service station, including drive-thru restaurant.

GHSL Ltd has applied for the changes at their site at 675 Paisley Road West.

Also proposed are an extension to the shop and formation a vehicle wash facility.

A drive-thru restaurant is proposed as either a franchise, lease out or the applicants’ own brand.

• Dunfermline Sheriff Court to gain solar power

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) has applied to Fife Council for permission to install 260 solar panels at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

A spokesperson for SCTS said the development would be part of its commitment to decarbonisation as well as the Carbon Trust Triple Standard accreditation.

They said: “Capital grants totalling £291,000 have been approved to the SCTS from the Central Government Energy Efficiency Capital Grant Fund, which is part of the wider Green Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme aimed at supporting the decarbonisation of public buildings.

“Dunfermline Sheriff Court was identified as a suitable building for the installation of solar photo voltaic (PV) systems.

“This builds on a programme of PV installations previously undertaken in the SCTS estates and our commitment to decarbonisation and the Carbon Trust Triple Standard accreditation.

“This will allow SCTS to make progress to improve the heating, lighting and energy efficiency of many of the buildings in our estate and help us to reduce carbon emissions and our energy costs.”

• BayWa r.e. acquires second Lanarkshire wind farm site

BayWa r.e. has completed the acquisition of the project rights for Broken Cross Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire from developer Brockwell Energy.

Broken Cross is a 48MW, ten turbine wind farm site which sits 3.5km to the northwest of Rigside in South Lanarkshire and close to Dalquhandy wind farm, a 45MW project currently in construction, which BayWa r.e. acquired from Brockwell Energy in May 2020.

This acquisition further strengthens BayWa r.e.’s wind portfolio in Scotland and the UK as a whole. 

Previously a coal mine, the site has been widely restored to pave the way for the wind scheme and other industrial and agricultural uses.

• Councillors to discuss £1.5m funding for two rural bridges in Stirling

Councillors are to discuss plans to provide additional funding for essential works to two bridges in rural Stirling.

A Special Meeting of Stirling Council will hear proposals to utilise up to £1.5 million from council reserves to deliver essential structural improvements on both the Branshogle and Catter Burn bridges, which are currently closed.

Branshogle Bridge suffered a partial parapet collapse following a period of heavy rainfall on 19th February of this year, resulting in its closure. Since the closure of the Branshogle Bridge, engineers have been working with stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, consultants and contractors to ascertain the most appropriate process to repair the bridge.

A contractor has been engaged with a tender returned. Some elements required to be repriced due to a change in specification, and this process is well underway. Further community engagement sessions are planned to provide updates.

The parapet wall on Catter Burn Bridge on the A809 south of Croftamie collapsed on 30th September, resulting in the need to close the bridge as an essential safety measure. Engineers are currently assessing the extent of works required to be undertaken to repair the bridge, and community meetings are being arranged to discuss the works and the impact of the closures. Local diversions are in place.

The meeting will take place on October 21 at 2pm and will be broadcast live on Stirling Council’s YouTube channel. The agenda is available to be downloaded now.

• Footbridge closure in Moray

Marywell Footbridge will be closed to pedestrians until further notice.

Moray Council has confirmed the closure of Marywell Footbridge over the River Lossie, after a structural engineer assessed the bridge and deemed it to be unsafe for use. The bridge had been closed after it suffered vandalism in September, and a temporary repair was put in place to allow the reopening of the bridge.

The bridge has suffered further vandalism and will now be closed on a longer-term basis while options are considered. Fencing has been placed at both ends of the bridge to stop the public from using it and we would urge people to refrain from climbing or attempting to access the bridge.

Alternative access to and from Morriston playing fields can be made using the Old Mills Cycle Bridge which is approximately 75m to the west of Marywell Footbridge.