Building Briefs - September 2nd

• Dundee mural a nod to city’s housing heritage

Hillcrest chief executive Angela Linton, deputy chief executive Fiona Morrison, housing officer Ben Gibson and tenant participation officer Emily Kernahan with members of the Stobswell Forum, who supplied much of the funding for the art piece.

The impressive masterpiece is the work of artists Fraser Gray and Martin McGuinness, in partnership with Hillcrest Homes and with support from Dundee City Council and paint donors Dulux Decorator Centre. The artwork forms part of the Open/Close series of street art in Dundee, which has seen a trail of vibrant artworks created around the city.

The massive design, which occupies the huge-gable end in Cardean Street, opens up the inside of the building by painting a scene of a Stobswell close on the outside. The mural plays with the building’s dimensions to create a dynamic perspective, and offers a fond nod to Dundee and the Stobswell area through everything from the colour palette to the various visual aspects of the image.

Funding for the mural was also supplied by the Stobswell Forum – a local volunteer community organisation working to improve the Stobswell area.

• Extension granted to timescale of Dunbar landfill site

East Lothian Council’s planning committee met remotely yesterday and considered an application to extend the date by which the landfill site at Oxwell Mains, near Dunbar, must be restored.

The former quarry site has been operated by Viridor as a landfill site since September 1997, with the later addition of an energy from waste facility. As part of the original planning consent, the land was to be restored to agricultural land within 23 years.

Committee members unanimously agreed to extend that period by five years, therefore restoration will be by September 2025. This is in line with a Scottish Government objective to avoid the need for new facilities by maximising the efficient use of existing landfill facilities.

• Nairn water play area makes a splash ahead of schedule

Construction work on a brand-new splash pad at Nairn links has been completed a month ahead of schedule.

Contractor Ustigate has officially handed over the site to Highland Council, which will manage the site on behalf of Nairn Common Good.

Nairn’s splash pad is a partnership project between Team Hamish, Nairn Common Good and NICE. It replaces the former paddling pool on the Nairn Links and creates a water play feature which will be available longer throughout the year and provide a more accessible facility for all. The first of its kind in Highland it is an exciting new development for Nairn.