Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Scotland Construction News Archive for May 2009
29/05/2009
ScottishPower today flicked the switch on a groundbreaking test project that will see CO2 emissions extracted from Longannet power station - the first time in the UK that they have been captured from a working coal-fired power plant and putting the company on track to deliver a full CCS demonstratio
29/05/2009
A further 25 organisations in Scotland graduated from the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme on 27 May, receiving a certificate from Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change. The official ceremony held at the Caledonian Hilton Hotel, Edinburgh, marked the
29/05/2009
Plans to invest more than £220m over the next three years in economic and community development have been published by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The enterprise agency's latest operating plan - its first since transferring business advice services to local authorities on 1 April 2009 -
29/05/2009
Results from the Chartered Institute of Building's (CIOB) third annual skills survey show that the industry is still suffering a skills shortage despite the recession and downturn in construction demand. It was found that 77% of respondents believe there is a skills shortage in construction and 78%
29/05/2009
North East expertise in oil and gas will help the region capitalise on the huge projected growth in offshore renewables, according to the energy division of leading UK law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn. Aberdeen-based energy partner Richard Cockburn is already witnessing an increasing number of the
29/05/2009
Musselburgh-based Eastern Exhibition & Display has produced window vinyls and wall graphics for a new restaurant in Leith called Café Fish. Working alongside design consultancy Studio LR, Eastern produced the graphics and assumed responsibility for their installation on-site. Janet Lee Adam, direc
29/05/2009
J&E Shepherd Chartered Surveyors is promoting the benefits of the recently introduced Scottish government measures to help businesses with their rates payments. With business rates adjusted each April, normally in line with the rate of inflation in the previous September, the rates increase for 200
29/05/2009
Robert Gordon's College have been presented with a cheque for £500 for being the top school in the region (and third in Scotland) in the annual West Point Bridge Design Contest. Mr Clive Kennedy, President of the Aberdeen Association of Civil Engineers and an associated society of the Institution
29/05/2009
Business is brisk at the new one stop shop for enterprises large and small from across Orkney. The Business Gateway offers practical help, advice and support to people starting new ventures and to established companies with plans for growth. Based in Kirkwall's Queen Street, the new centre shares
29/05/2009
Operators and contractors are preparing for the imminent arrival of the Department of Energy and Climate Change's (DECC) formal guidelines on carbon capture and storage in the UKCS. Rapid moves towards CO2 capture and storage as key elements of a sustainable energy policy, already backed by the Sco
29/05/2009
The nationwide tool and equipment hire company, HSS Hire, is set to revolutionise hire for major accounts with the launch of LiveHire, a unique, free online hire management system already dubbed 'the most powerful tool in the equipment hire industry'. HSS Livehire is a secure and personalised extra
28/05/2009
A new £1m fund to help create new businesses and premises for community projects has been launched by Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson. The Stations Community Regeneration Fund (SCRF) has been created to bring redundant or disused station buildings back into use for the benefit of pass
28/05/2009
The son of US Tycoon Donald Trump is expected to announce the appointment of an executive vice president of the planned £1bn golf resort in Aberdeenshire. Donald Trump Jnr, who is visiting the Menie estate, is to appoint Sarah Malone, currently director of the Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen,
28/05/2009
A £200,000 library designed by Archial Architects for Hutchesons' Grammar Junior School in Glasgow has been nominated in the Best Small Project category at the prestigious Scottish Design Awards 2009. Archial was originally approached by Hutcheson's Educational Trust to prepare a feasibility docume
28/05/2009
Aberdeen based JCE Energy has launched what could be a world's first using solar energy in remote areas of the globe. The Solar Power Pod (SPP), which has huge export potential and could create invaluable new jobs in Aberdeen, was unveiled by Jim Craig, managing director of JCE Energy, at the All-
28/05/2009
The Highland Council is to step up its lobbying of both the Scottish and UK Governments for increased investment in new affordable housing. The impact of the recession and financial constraints affecting housing associations have significantly reduced the Council’s ability to meet the growing deman
28/05/2009
East Ayrshire Council is seeking views on proposals to create a new-build campus that will house Patna Primary, Nursery School and Supported Learning Centre, as well as St Xavier Primary, on a site adjacent to the present Patna schools. The local community will also be asked to give its views on pr
28/05/2009
The Scottish Government has underlined its commitment to delivering a Greener Government, with the publication of its Carbon Management Plan. Developed in conjunction with the Carbon Trust (the independent body which works with organisations to reduce the environmental impact of their activities),
28/05/2009
Falkirk Council is to join the national Mortgage to Rent Scheme which aims to help people in financial difficulty who may face losing their homes. On Tuesday's meeting of the Housing and Social Care Committee they agreed to recommend participation in the scheme to the Policy and Resources Committee
28/05/2009
A party of Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) members were given the opportunity to have a site tour of the new Pinderfields Hospital scheme on Saturday 16th May 2009. The £220m redevelopment of Pinderfields Hospital forms the major part of Balfour Beatty's £311m flagship Pinderfields and Pont
28/05/2009
Residents of the Dyce suburb of Aberdeen have sent out the message that they are fully behind a multi-million plan to build a world-class sports and leisure complex. Within hours of volunteers blitzing 2,500 homes in Dyce with an awareness leaflet, a specially set-up hot-line was flooded with messa
27/05/2009
New data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders shows that house purchase lending in Scotland continued to fall in the first quarter of 2009. There were 7,600 house purchase loans in Scotland, down 34% from 11,600 in the previous quarter and 52% from the same quarter a year earlier. Across the UK, h
27/05/2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned about the dangers of working close to overhead power lines, after a Perthshire soft fruit farming company and its owner were prosecuted following the electrocution of a Polish worker. Mr Gerard Faltynowski, 26, died on 28 July 2006 after metal exten
27/05/2009
Six buildings are to benefit from Historic Scotland's Building Repairs Grants totaling £790,000. Announcing the funding yesterday Culture Minister Michael Russell said: "In the current economic climate it is essential that we support projects that will make a real and visible difference to their co
27/05/2009
A proposal to build a low-carbon community of the future in Aberdeen has been chosen to help spearhead a campaign for a greener and better designed Scotland. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that the proposal for a new neighbourhood at Grandhome and Whitestripes is to be included
27/05/2009
Dr Howard Marshall, Managing Director of Best Energy, has been re-elected as Chair of the National Insulation Association's (NIA) Scotland Forum. The NIA is a non-profit making professional body representing over 90% of the UK's insulation industry and Howard will continue to be involved in promoti
27/05/2009
Mr James R. Wright, Canadian High Commissioner to United Kingdom met Tenants First Housing Co-operative in Aberdeen on Tuesday 19th May 2009 to discuss the construction of energy-efficient Canadian timber homes in Aberdeen. Four new homes are to be built with funding from Aberdeen City Council. The
27/05/2009
Edinburgh-based Almondale Investments has secured a major industrial letting that will take the UK's largest independent sheet and plate stockholding company to Lanarkshire. Yorkshire-based Eterniti Steels has agreed a three-year lease on Units E and F at Almondale's Europark Industrial Estate at
27/05/2009
Main contractors in the interiors sector are the latest to sign up to the Builder's Profile, helping to reduce the inefficiency associated with current pre-qualification processes and saving time and money. The Builder's Profile is an online service allowing companies to exchange common pre-qualifi
27/05/2009
The £6.7m Pollok Civic Realm, designed by Archial Architects, has won a Royal Institute of British Architects Regional Award the day after it was officially opened by Nicola Sturgeon, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing. Built between the newly expanded Pollok Health Centre and the Pollo
27/05/2009
The Scottish Cabinet yesterday welcomed five of the country's key business leaders to Bute House in Edinburgh as part of the efforts to ensure the Scottish Government is doing all it can to put Scotland firmly on the road to economic recovery. Representatives from five key business organisations de
26/05/2009
The number of affordable houses completed in Scotland last year reached an eight year high. Updated housing statistics have been released today by Scotland's Chief Statistician. A total of 6,221 houses for rent and low cost home ownership were completed in 2008-09, the highest annual figure in 8 ye
26/05/2009
Construction union UCATT have won a commitment from construction company Skanska that no form of blacklisting will be tolerated on their sites and that an investigation will be launched into their past conduct. In March it was revealed following an investigation by the Information Commissioner, tha
26/05/2009
The cost of private rental accommodation is falling across Scotland, according to latest research by Scotland’s leading online letting portal Citylets. Landlords and property investors are now being advised that despite healthy demand, continued soaring levels of rental stock fuelled by home movers
26/05/2009
A study into the use of Forestry Commission land on Arran for new, affordable homes will be carried out over the next three months. North Ayrshire Council and HIFAR (Housing Initiative for Arran Residents), working in partnership with Isle of Arran Homes and Arran Community Council, have commission
26/05/2009
J&E Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has appointed Gavin Quinn as a graduate surveyor in its Glasgow office. Hailing from Bridge of Allan, 24-year-old Mr Quinn is a recent graduate of Aberdeen University. Based in Glasgow, he has now embarked on a training programme for his Assessment of Professional C
26/05/2009
Plans to merge a number of council owned companies and acquire the majority of their property assets will be considered by the City of Edinburgh Council this week. The changes follow a detailed review of how arms-length companies operate and are focused on development firms EDI, Waterfront Edinburg
26/05/2009
Tenant housing group representatives from across the Highlands have been working with the Highland Council to produce a new strategy that puts tenant involvement and communication at the centre of future housing service delivery and development. Launched yesterday the strategy replaces The Highland
26/05/2009
Argyll and Bute Council is to take advantage of an unforeseen opportunity to carry out major work on a flood prevention scheme in Dunoon. The work involves the section of the Milton Burn Flood Prevention Scheme within the supermarket car park in the town's John Street. The supermarket closed for r
26/05/2009
Businesses in the North East are being forced to review their property costs as they look to fight their way through the recession, according to workplace design experts, Space Solutions. The Aberdeen-based company is reporting a surge in interest from companies in the region who are anxious to red
26/05/2009
ATR Group is expanding into new markets throughout the UK, including a push into the downstream oil and gas sector as well as marine operations, after investing £2m in new plant and equipment. The North Sea tool rental market-leader, headquartered in Aberdeen, is securing its position in the UK by
22/05/2009
Fit out, maintenance and housing provider, Morris & Spottiswood, has received recognition for achieving excellence throughout its supply chain in the Atkins 2008 Quantum Awards. The firm has been accredited with the Silver Standard, joining Atkins' top ranking suppliers who have demonstrated strong
22/05/2009
Archial Architects has gone underground with a design for a new £10.5m pioneering world-class centre for veterinary medicine situated at the entrance to the grounds of the Garscube Estate, Glasgow. Part of the University of Glasgow's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, the new Small Animal Hospital pro
22/05/2009
Homes for Scotland, the representative body for the home building industry in Scotland, has elected John Low, Managing Director of Stewart Milne Homes North, as Chairman for the year 2009/10. Addressing nearly 500 senior industry representatives and guests at the organisation's recent annual lunch
22/05/2009
Construction union UCATT will be holding a demonstration outside Macclesfield County Court on Wednesday 27 May, when construction blacklister Ian Kerr, the head of the Consulting Association, will go on trial. In March it was revealed by the Information Commissioner that Mr Kerr's company, the Cons
22/05/2009
Funding to transform a derelict site in Pulteneytown, Wick, into high quality houses has been awarded by The Highland Council’s Planning, Environmental and Development Committee. Members have approved £297,836 of funding from the Pulteneytown Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme to the Highland Ho
22/05/2009
The Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) project has taken a major step forward with the completion of a seven-month long project to replace overhead power line equipment on part of the existing two-track line between Glasgow and Paisley. Overhead power lines have been transferred to new supports, whil
22/05/2009
Haulage firm Munro & Sons (Highland) Ltd has had its license withdrawn by the Traffic Commissioner following an accident which led to a woman's death. Christina Fraser, 24, was killed when a 30-tonne digger rolled off a transport lorry and hit a car she was traveling as a passenger in on the A9 bet
22/05/2009
A Dumfries project has been identified by the Scottish Government as a leading example of how to make Scotland greener and healthier. The Crichton Development Company's project at Ladyfield in Dumfries, which was supported by the Council, has been selected by the Scottish Government as an exemplar
22/05/2009
Clackmannanshire councillor George Matchett will officially re-open the refurbished Tullibody Library on Wednesday 27th May. Refurbishment work totalling £10,000 took place in March and included painting, new flooring and new shelving. The refurbished library now also features artwork on the walls
22/05/2009
Dunfermline East's new primary school will be named Carnegie Primary School and will be situated at South Fod West. Fife Council's Education and Children’s Services Committee yesterday gave approval to both the name and location, which were the result of public consultation, taking into account the
21/05/2009
A major milestone in the 300 year history of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) will be reached today when Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, officiates at the topping-out ceremony of the John Hope Gateway Visitor Centre. The Scottish Government has in
21/05/2009
GHA is launching its plans for an energy efficient home which will cost around £100 a year for heating and hot water. Designs for the eco friendly home were shown to Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil MSP on Wednesday 20 May. GHA set about creating models for a home where the water and hea
21/05/2009
EnerMech Ltd have secured a major contract with Apache North Sea Ltd to provide crane and maintenance services. The Aberdeen-based mechanical services company have been awarded a three year contract worth an estimated £6m. The work scope covers all of Apache's assets in the Forties Field and will
21/05/2009
The proposed development of a new community that would expand the city of Aberdeen has been named as one of only eleven projects in a major national initiative. Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, announced that the Grandhome Whitestripes proposal was included in the Scottish Sustainable Commu
21/05/2009
Leading planning and architecture consultancy Barton Willmore has recruited James Hall to join its Edinburgh office as a Director. James rejoins Barton Willmore from Entec as a Director having left the practice in November 2000. James has 16 years planning experience, working in both the publi
21/05/2009
Aberdeen-based Knight Property Group (KPG) was named "Developer of the Year" at the prestigious 2009 Scottish Property Awards held in Edinburgh last week. Knight Property Group was shortlisted for the award at the ninth Scottish Property Awards alongside some of the country's biggest names in prope
21/05/2009
TV presenter and RIBA architect George Clarke today launched Architect in the House, a fundraising initiative offering the public the opportunity to transform their homes, whilst raising money for the housing charity Shelter Scotland. George, best known for The Home Show on Channel 4, wants to get
21/05/2009
The Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland (CIH) has signalled its support for moves by the Scottish Government to address issues related to tenancy deposits in the private rented sector. Both tenants and landlords have found that issues over the use of and return of deposits can become an area f
21/05/2009
Empty Property Rates (EPR) are paving the way for future instability in non-residential property markets as property owners are increasingly turning to demolition to avoid paying the rates whilst cutting back on future investment, according to the results of RICS and Lambert Smith Hampton's Empty Pr
21/05/2009
The Construction Products Association has welcomed the government's latest consultation on Heat and Energy Saving Strategy (HESS), but has called for greater detail of both the finance and delivery mechanisms if the scheme is to have any chance of being delivered. John Tebbit, Industry Affairs Dire
20/05/2009
Scottish Power's application to extend its £300m windfarm at Whitelee has been granted, giving it the capacity to power 250,000 homes while enabling the company to create up to 300 green jobs, First Minister Alex Salmond announced today. The First Minister made the announcement as he carried ou
20/05/2009
Construction firms scooped more than 700 honours in this year's Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Occupational Health and Safety Awards, cementing the industry's place as the most successful sector in the scheme's history. Balfour Beatty Construction Scottish & Southern Ltd, ba
20/05/2009
Nicola Sturgeon, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing, has officially opened the £6.7m Pollok Civic Realm. Designed by Archial Architects the building has been shortlisted for two prestigious awards: a RIBA Award, presented to the best new buildings in the United Kingdom and a Best Regener
20/05/2009
Forth Housing Association (Forth HA) has marked the benefits of partnership working by starting its latest housing development at Cambusbarron, Stirling. The work, which will provide 34 homes for affordable rent, is being carried out by Persimmon Homes. The Scottish Government has provided £2.6m in
20/05/2009
New ways of improving tenancy deposit practice are under consideration by the Scottish Government. A recent study into Scotland's private rented sector revealed that a significant minority of tenancy deposits appear to be withheld, whether legitimately or not. Options and costs for establishing an
20/05/2009
More businesses will be able to feel the warmth of renewable heating that cuts emissions. 26 projects across Scotland have been awarded a share of £1.6m under the Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme to install biomass heating systems and district heating systems in small businesses like hotels and offices
20/05/2009
Inverness College UHI, in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Community Energy Scotland, are to establish Scotland's first centre to offer training on the installation of microrenewables. The facility will work with local businesses to support their entry to the small-scale
20/05/2009
The new £7.7m Blacklaw Primary School in East Kilbride has been officially opened. The school, which was constructed by one of the South Lanarkshire Council's building partners Bovis, opened to its roll of 250 pupils in May 2008 as part of the council's £850m Primary Schools Modernisation Programm
20/05/2009
The new Scottish European Green Energy Centre has appointed a key figure to lead the development of the project. Duncan Botting has been named Executive Chair of the Centre, which will act as a focal point for Scottish engagement in Europe to further green energy research, development and deploymen
20/05/2009
Midlothian Council house rents are among the lowest in Scotland - again. Average council house rents in Midlothian are more than 12% below the Scottish national average – according to an analysis of figures provided by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla). Following a national aver
20/05/2009
Gypsum Recycling UK Ltd has rolling out an innovative recycling and collection system for plasterboard waste in the UK, in response to new legislation. The system assures that Gypsum Recycling UK Ltd can collect and recycle plasterboard waste from Kent over Wales and the Midlands and back again ove
19/05/2009
Views are being sought on a range of measures to create a system of crofting 'fit for the 21st century'. Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham said that the Crofting Reform Bill will set communities on course for a 'stronger, brighter future'. Launching a consultation into the draft bill, Ms Cu
19/05/2009
A council house building programme in Dundee could be underway by the end of this financial year, if a new bid for funding is successful. City housing chiefs have been told by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities that the Scottish Government's aim is to announce which councils will be given
19/05/2009
Scottish Ministers have agreed that Transport Scotland non-executive directors Dr Iain Docherty and Dr Jacqueline Redmond are to retain their positions on the board of the agency for a further 18 months. The pair were initially appointed to the Transport Scotland board in May and June 2006 respecti
19/05/2009
Edinburgh tenants of social landlords and the council seeking to exchange properties are being given the opportunity to do so online for the first time ever. The City of Edinburgh Council is managing this service on behalf of social landlords in the city; which will see countless home seekers put
19/05/2009
Wimbledon's new retractable roof panels and bullnoses have been designed, manufactured and supplied to site by Scottish firm Booth-Muirie. The new roof was tested on Sunday at a Centre Court Celebration Event when Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters will be the first players to
19/05/2009
Members of South Ayrshire Council have taken a decision to lease additional land to the University of the West of Scotland for a new University Campus. This brings the total amount of land to be leased to 8.54 hectares or thereby. In January 2008 the Council agreed to lease the University of the We
19/05/2009
A new hydro scheme near Claggan in the North West Highlands that will power 750 homes has been approved. The 1.5 Megawatt Rannoch River scheme on the Ardtornish Estate will create 12 jobs during construction. Energy Minister Jim Mather said: "Renewable energy developments will help Scotland's econ
19/05/2009
Knight Property Group plc has just welcomed its fourth tenant to its development at Kirkhill Commercial Park on the outskirts of the city. Fugro-Improv Limited recently took up residence in one of the high specification units having struck a 15-year lease deal with Knight Property Group plc for one
19/05/2009
Satelliet-Browns has announced the winner of the Student Design Challenge 2009. The firm, one of the country's leading furniture supplier to the leisure industry, challenged interior design students from all over the UK to design a modern bar by taking their pick of the spectacular range of furnish
19/05/2009
Dumfries and Galloway Council are seeking funding towards the cost of a survey for Scotland's oldest working theatre. The council require £3,000 to determine repair work required for the Theatre Royal in Dumfries. A feasibility study into a new cultural centre has been recommended. The study will
18/05/2009
A £15m project to regenerate historically contaminated landfill sites by cleaning up Aberdeen's waste legacy gets under way today. Lord Provost Peter Stephen with Peter Lawrence (Enviromental Contracts Manager) The Ness Farm and Tullos Hill landfill sites are to be restored to minimise the environm
18/05/2009
One of the largest architectural practices in Scotland and the UK, Archial Architects, has secured a commission from the Kinross Curling Trust to design a National Curling Academy in Kinross. Set to be located on the Market Park site in the heart of Kinross, the new academy will feature a six sheet
18/05/2009
Work has started on the construction and installation of a new timber pedestrian bridge at Vinney Den Letham. Part of the funding for the work, which includes the upgrading of the footpath link, is being provided by the Angus Environmental Trust (AET) through the Landfill Communities Fund. In part
18/05/2009
A high powered group bringing together major players from the public and private sector has been set up in Dundee in a bid to make the city Scotland's renewable energy capital. Dundee Renewables, which was officially launched with a visit to the city's harbour, initially brings together the experti
18/05/2009
Paintball in Scotland and the UK is closer to recreating the sport’s success in America with the official opening of the £300,000 Terminator paintball arena at Scotkart near Cambuslang today. The Terminator is the first pitch built to professional standards seen in America and is the only purpose b
18/05/2009
Scottish Government investment of £3.5m has seen the return of passenger trains to Laurencekirk for the first time in over 40 years. Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said this brings substantial benefits to the local community. The Minister was speaking as he reopened the station which had be
18/05/2009
Tenants of social landlords and the Council seeking to exchange properties are being given the opportunity to do so online for the first time ever. The City of Edinburgh Council is managing this service on behalf of social landlords in the city; which will see countless home seekers put in touch w
18/05/2009
Consultants appointed by The Highland Council to carry out an option appraisal exercise in relation to the future provision of pre-school and primary school education at Conon Bridge and Maryburgh have recommended that a new amalgamated school should be built on the site of the existing Conon Bridge
18/05/2009
ScottishPower has started a major project to help improve the electricity supplies in Anglesey, supported by the Welsh Assembly. At present the electricity infrastructure on the island is running to almost full capacity, meaning that further major business development is limited. However, increase
18/05/2009
The Central Scotland Branch of the Association of Women in Property has announced its new Chairman. Anne Mackay Reid, who is Workplace Interior Design Manager, HBOS, will take on the role for one year. Anne is one of 12 new branch Chairman who collectively cover the Women in Property network, ac
15/05/2009
ConstructionSkills, the UK's Sector Skills Council, has unveiled a host of planned measures to help preserve the employment of the industry's existing apprentices through the economic downturn, and to encourage firms to bring through the next generation of workers. The first and largest of these me
15/05/2009
Commenting on the repossession figures released today, Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, housing and homelessness charity, said everything must be done to stop the increasing flow of repossessions becoming a tide of homelessness. "These figures show a 23% rise from the previous quarter in
15/05/2009
A £40m hotel development on Edinburgh's iconic Princes Street, designed by Archial Architects on behalf of Belfast-based developer Deramore, has secured planning consent. Located at 121/123 Princes Street, the ambitious development, which marks the first new hotel on Edinburgh's main shopping stree
15/05/2009
A cutting edge £2.6m composting facility has been officially opened in Kilmarnock today. The Vertical Composting Unit, from Billy Bowie Special Projects Ltd., will process organic commercial and industrial biowaste and will divert approximately 10,000 tonnes each year from landfill. Two buildings
15/05/2009
Inverclyde councillors have agreed to secure a unique and sustainable system for dealing with potholes on its road network. "Rhinopatch" is considered a "right first time" method of repair which should eliminate recurring potholes and reduce the amount of disruption experienced by road users while
15/05/2009
Scottish Borders Councillor Graham Garvie has announced plans to replace the current 15 year old synthetic turf pitch (STP) at Tweedbank Sports Complex with a new type of surface. The new pitch will meet the specifications of both the Federation of International Hockey (FIH) and the Football Associ
15/05/2009
HLM Architects has been short-listed for recognition in the Employer of the Year category of the National Business Awards for Scotland. The National Business Awards for Scotland are open to any company with a Scottish base, public or private, from any sector and of any size. To reach the finals is
15/05/2009
Nearly 100 new trees have been planted as part of advance work for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) project. The advanced landscaping work has seen the semi-mature trees planted at St James Playing Fields in Paisley, which the GARL branch line will run across when completed. Transport Scotland
15/05/2009
Pipe Center has recently supplied speciality pipework and components worth around £100,000 for upgrading work on ScottishPower's Cockenzie power station. The 1,200 MW coal-fired plant, located eight miles from Edinburgh on the Forth Estuary, has been generating electricity since 1968. ScottishPowe
15/05/2009
A £460,000 upgrade and extension has brought Glenelg Primary School in Lochalsh up to standards required for a 21st Century teaching establishment. The investment by The Highland Council's Education Culture and Sport Committee was marked by an opening ceremony conducted by Mrs Lilian Cameron, the f
14/05/2009
Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd has received planning consent for two of the biggest construction projects needed to complete the site clean-up. With a combined value in excess of £300m and a capacity for almost 200,000 cubic metres of waste, they will be the largest facilities ever built in Scotland
14/05/2009
The Tradeston Bridge, a new crossing over Glasgow's Clyde for pedestrians and cyclists, has officially opened as part of the £33m waterfront regeneration. It will provides a vital link between Tradeston on the south bank of the river and Glasgow's International Financial Services District. The bri
14/05/2009
A Scottish Government drive to sideline rogue property managers has been backed by evidence from the Office of Fair Trading. The Government has responded to an Office of Fair Trading report on property managers in Scotland. The OFT report - published in February - said that if a voluntary scheme a
14/05/2009
Archial Architects has completed the £20m Scottish Borders Campus at Galashiels, the new home for many of the Borders College further and higher education courses as well as Heriot-Watt's higher education provision in the Scottish Borders. A result of a ground breaking co-location project, the new
14/05/2009
Aberdeen Grammar School's Rubislaw Sports Pavilion has been officially re-opened following the completion of a £3m refurbishment and redevelopment programme. The work has created a fantastic new, extended environmentally-friendly facility which will provide its own heat and water. The work, funded
14/05/2009
The next round of ground and marine investigations for the Forth Replacement Crossing gets underway this week on the north and south side of the crossing and in the Firth of Forth estuary itself. The marine investigations will provide information about the seabed conditions in the area around the b
14/05/2009
Work on the refurbishment contract in the Thurso Pedestrian Precinct has now been been completed apart from the laying of coloured bitumen over the tarmac area running through the centre of the precinct and a few other minor works. The project which cost just over £370,000 was financed by the Highl
14/05/2009
Around 90 businesses and individuals interested in exploring opportunities in the growing renewables industry in the Highlands and Islands attended a fact finding session on woodfuels in Alness last week. Local architects, property developers, plumbing and heating businesses, biomass installers, fo
14/05/2009
CIAT has become a member of AEEBC, the Association of Building Surveyors and Construction Experts (Association d'Experts Européens du Bâtiment et de la Construction). The invitation to join followed a formal presentation by CIAT to the AEEBC's General Assembly. AEEBC represents over 350,000 buil
14/05/2009
The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has launched a sonar research project in its Orkney waters that could help marine developers operate their devices without harming marine wildlife. Working with the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at the University of St Andrews, EMEC is working to develop u
13/05/2009
NHS Lothian has released images of the planned new sexual health centre development set to open in 2010. The images show just how new life is being given to the historic former Chalmers Hospital building in Edinburgh's Lauriston Place. The plans outline the scale of new extensions which will total
13/05/2009
Efficiency savings from next year's Scottish budget must not be made at the expense of the construction industry. This was one of the key messages from Scottish Building Federation Chief Executive Michael Levack when he appeared before the Scottish Parliament's Finance Committee yesterday. Giving
13/05/2009
Over the past three months
13/05/2009
Plans to improve the protection of homes and communities across Scotland from flooding are expected to be passed by the Scottish Parliament today. Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham will lead the debate which is expected to lead to the implementation of many 21st century flood risk management
13/05/2009
Professional engineers from across Scotland will be honoured at an Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) event taking place in Glasgow next week. The event will be held at the IET’s Scottish home, the Teacher Building in Glasgow at 6pm on 18 May, and will include a keynote address by IET
13/05/2009
West Lothian Council is to take the unusual step of pursuing a compulsory purchase order to secure a new train station at Blackridge on the Bathgate to Airdrie line. The Council Executive agreed to submit the application to the Scottish Government after negotiations failed to be reached for the lan
13/05/2009
Scotland's energy sector is making a significant contribution to economic recovery, according to figures published today. Giving evidence to the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee's energy inquiry, Jim Mather pointed to the Scottish Government's key sector report on energy published today. Th
13/05/2009
The National Specialist Contractors' Council (NSCC) has announced that the Confederation of Construction Specialists (CCS) has been accepted into membership. The CCS, which represents organisations with a combined turnover in excess of £3bn a year, promotes the Early Specialist Contractor Involvem
13/05/2009
The countdown to repair the Causewayhead Road Bridge, Stirling (A9 - Stevenson Bridge) over the River Forth has begun. The "B-listed" five-span masonry road bridge needs essential repair work to be carried out to stop it from deteriorating further. From Sunday June 28 the road will be reduced to o
13/05/2009
Plans are underway to attract a new supermarket to West Lothian. Permission has been granted by West Lothian Council's development control committee to allow an increase in the class 1 retail space at Heartlands, Whitburn, from 2,000 square metres to 5,561 square metres. This extra retail space wi
12/05/2009
Thousands of new homes for rent or low cost ownership will be built across Scotland this year. The Scottish Government plans to approve grants for a record breaking 8,100 affordable homes. The housing boost is backed by £644m from the Scottish Government's Affordable Housing Investment Programme.
12/05/2009
Local residents will have the opportunity to view Robert Gordon University's new plans for the development of its Garthdee campus at a series of public consultation events being held on 19 and 20 May. Over the next decade the University aims to develop the east end of its Garthdee Campus with 34,0
12/05/2009
Archial Architects, one of the largest architectural practices in Scotland and the UK, is set to ring in The Bells for change at a hotel in Aberdeen city centre. The company's bold design for the ambitious £25m development will transform the three storey Bells Hotel on Union Street from Aberdeen's
12/05/2009
A scheme to guarantee local training and job opportunities has been approved by councillors in Inverclyde. The Construction Plus Partnership has already seen the company building the Riverside Business Centre recruit six local groundsmen, a heating engineer and a quantity surveyor. The multi-milli
12/05/2009
Morrison Construction, part of the Galliford Try group, has secured a £4.6m contract with The Highland Council to redevelop the sports facilities at Lochaber High School, Fort William. The first phase of a three phase development will involve the construction of a new sports wing that will provide
12/05/2009
Musselburgh-based Eastern Exhibition & Display celebrates its 30th birthday this month by reporting a recession-busting 10% rise in turnover to £3.2m. Established in Edinburgh in 1979 as a processing lab, Eastern has consistently kept pace with the technological revolution that has taken place with
12/05/2009
CALA has unveiled a new showhome from two of Scotland's top designers at its Kinnaird Gardens development in Larbert. Renowned interior designers, John Amabile and Carol Yates of Glasgow-based Amabile Design have added their magic to the five-bedroom Inglewood housetype. Set within historic Larbe
12/05/2009
Aberdeen City Council is hosting a two-day meeting this week as part of an EU project which focuses on reducing carbon emissions through energy-efficient building design. Experts from the North Sea Region including Sweden, Germany and Brussels will be in attendance to discuss this important issue
12/05/2009
Scottish Government investment of £200m will help deliver a new fleet of electric trains which will provide a major boost for rail passengers and encourage commuters onto more sustainable forms of transport Stewart Stevenson has said. The Minister was speaking at Glasgow Central Station last week a
12/05/2009
Scottish Borders Council has restored a memorial to a young Australian airman buried in one of the most remote war graves in Scotland. Flight Sergeant Tony La Gruta died in August 1941, when his Bolton Paul Defiant aircraft crashed in the Lammermuir Hills on a homing test. The Ministry of Defence d
11/05/2009
The Glasgow School of Art's (GSA) international search to find a team to design a new 11,250 square metre building to sit opposite the iconic Mackintosh Building in Garnethill, Glasgow has drawn 152 entries, with 58 received from outside the UK including the US, Japan, Australia, Spain, Finland, D
11/05/2009
A Planning Application to build a £33m office and leisure development at Pirnhall near Bannockburn has been given a cautious welcome by Stirling Council's Planning Panel. The Planning Panel, Chaired by Councillor Alasdair MacPherson, has agreed to continue the application to allow RJM Developments
11/05/2009
Belfast based Deramore Property Group has received full planning permission from the City of Edinburgh Council for their proposed redevelopment of 121-123 Princes Street, Edinburgh. The site at the west end of Princes Street, currently covered by scaffolding due to the dilapidated state of the ston
11/05/2009
The construction industry is facing its sharpest decline on record. With no prospect of an improvement in the near term, output and employment are set to fall even further in 2009 and 2010. This is the stark picture according to the new Construction Trade Survey compiled by the by the Construction
11/05/2009
Two founder members of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle have successfully completed a major heritage conservation project on a category B listed church building in the west end of Glasgow. ARP Lorimer and Associates were the architects, and building contractors William Skinner & Son were the main
11/05/2009
Scottish Water has announced it will help housebuilders by delaying the point at which connection charges are payable at sites across the country. The move - which will ease the financial burden on housebuilders - is part of Scottish Water's continuing support for development and economic growth in
11/05/2009
Angus schools were among those battling it out on May 7 to determine the winners of Creative Spaces 2009. Pupils from Arbroath Academy, Arbroath High School, Brechin High School, Carnoustie High School and Monifieth High School, joined schools from Dundee, Perth & Kinross and Fife, at the Space, Du
11/05/2009
The start of a new affordable housing development and two environmental improvement projects marks another major milestone in Fraserburgh's regeneration. The transformation of the north of the town, a thriving fishing port, is an important part of the Fraserburgh Masterplan, a multi-million pound
11/05/2009
HLM Architects has appointed Patrick Clark as Architectural Director in the firm's Scotland office, which has been based in Glasgow for over 40 years. Patrick is a talented designer who previously worked across the UK and Ireland as a partner at Parr Architects before becoming a director of SMC Pa
11/05/2009
Scotland's largest building distribution trade show will open its doors at Celtic Park's Kerrydale Suite this Thursday with over 60 major companies and organisations taking part. The show, which is supported by Saint-Gobain Building Distribution UK, has been developed to enable the leading supplie
08/05/2009
The staff and pupils of Acharacle Primary School, Lochaber, today moved into their state of the art timber school, which promises to be the most energy efficient in Scotland. Scotland’s first wholly sustainable school is home to 48 English and Gaelic Medium primary school pupils and 14 English and
08/05/2009
The School for Informatics at the University of Edinburgh has been named Scottish Building Project of the Year 2009 by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland (RICS Scotland). Once a piece of derelict land used as a car park, the site now forms part of the University's George Squar
08/05/2009
Aberdeen City Council's planning sub-committee has granted permission for the Archial Architect designed £40m expansion of the five-star Marcliffe Hotel and Spa at Pitfodels, on the outskirts of the city. In addition to some 228 new bedrooms, Archial's extensive alterations and extension to the Mar
08/05/2009
The Scottish Building Federation has welcomed the Scottish Parliament's Rural Affairs and Environment Committee report on rural housing finding that many more affordable houses need to be built in rural parts of Scotland. But it has warned that Scottish Government proposals to overhaul the system f
08/05/2009
The first school in Aberdeen City Council's £120m 3Rs project has opened its doors to pupils. Heathryburn Headteacher Alison Muir with pupils from each of the class primaries. Children from the old Middlefield and Marchburn Schools have moved into their new £7m Heathryburn School on Davidson Drive
08/05/2009
The decline in the availability of credit has hit the construction and property sectors hard, but attractive long-term opportunities remain according to The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS). The Construction Management and Property Conference from CA Business Courses will outl
08/05/2009
The Highland Council has won a top European Award in recognition of the work it has done to raise awareness amongst staff of energy and water consumption in its buildings and for championing the need to cut CO2 emissions. The Display® Towards Class A award was presented as part of the Energie-Cités
08/05/2009
Much-needed improvements to a hazardous stretch of road south of West Kilbride came closer on Wednesday when North Ayrshire Council agreed to seek a compulsory purchase order for the necessary land. The Council want to realign the B7047 just before it enters the town at Thirdmailing, where a series
08/05/2009
The half a million visitors a year to Hanson's web site are now able to experience first-hand its Cityscape concept, which uses case studies to demonstrate the company's broad range of sustainable building materials. Hanson's Cityscape, first unveiled earlier this year on the company's stand at Fut
08/05/2009
A grant of £1,000 from UK Trade & Investment is now available to SME's based in Scotland who exhibit at the 2009 Irish Sustainable Building Show and the Building Exhibition. UK Trade & Investment has appointed the Building Centre as the ATO (Accredited Trade Organiser) for the Irish Sustainable B
07/05/2009
Inverclyde Council's Planning Board has approved a multi-million pound plan to build 636 new homes. The housing association River Clyde Homes has been allocated £23.5m of "top sliced" funding from the Scottish Government's Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) to support its Reprovisioning
07/05/2009
HLM Architects has been appointed as technical advisor on the £842m South Glasgow Hospitals project, the biggest NHS building scheme ever undertaken in Scotland. The architects will work as part of lead consultant Currie & Brown's team on the development of a new 1109-bed, adult acute hospital toge
07/05/2009
Network Rail has announced the creation of 75 new jobs as part of a £20m contract to help restore the Tay Bridge, the longest bridge on Britain's rail network and a vital link to the north east of Scotland. Speaking at the Scottish Transport Conference at Edinburgh's Caledonian Hotel yesterday, Ron
07/05/2009
Audit Scotland has found many council buildings are in poor condition and others are unsuitable for the services being delivered from them. Councils need better strategies and systems for managing their assets. The report published today, Asset management in Local Government in Scotland, looks at
07/05/2009
The winners of the Edinburgh Architectural Association Awards 2009 were announced on Wednesday 6 May at a drinks reception in the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh. The Building of the Year Award was won by LeeBoyd for St Paul's and St George's Church. Commendations were received by Bennetts Associates for
07/05/2009
People facing homelessness in rural Scotland should not be allowed to become second class citizens. That was the warning today from Shelter Scotland responding to the findings of the Scottish Parliament's Rural Housing Inquiry. The report shows that an estimated 29% of housing association lets in r
07/05/2009
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has commissioned Edinburgh based planning consultants GVA Grimley to produce a physical masterplan for John o' Groats. The masterplan will provide a sustainable long term model for creating an iconic visitor attraction which will include retail outlets, food
07/05/2009
Scotland's newest architect, Threesixty Architecture, is aiming for a Top Ten spot in Scotland. The ambitious, design-led and highly experienced team will focus on a decisive, environmentally-conscious approach to architecture and urban design. With offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness, Thr
07/05/2009
The next meeting of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle will feature a presentation by William Skinner & Son. The meeting will commence at 8am on Thursday 21 May at the Clydesdale Bank in Ayr. William Skinner & Son are building contractors with their head office in Ayr and a southern division near
06/05/2009
Individuals from Scotland's home building industry were recognised for their talent and achievement at the industry's key annual event at the EICC in Edinburgh on Friday 1 May 2009, which attracted almost 500 senior industry representatives. The theme of this year’s Homes for Scotland Awards,
06/05/2009
The Scottish Government is taking further steps to strengthen its world leading Climate Change Bill, Stewart Stevenson confirmed. Targets to reduce harmful greenhouse gases are being made even tougher with the inclusion of a new interim target to cut emissions by 34% by 2020. However, Ministers i
06/05/2009
The teaching of long-established building skills is to be revived in a joint project between Brechin Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) and Angus College. A new partnership has recently been set up between Brechin THI and the college's construction department to spearhead a survey of traditional b
06/05/2009
The launch today of Ben Property sees a new name enter the capital's residential letting market. But though the name is new, Ben Property has direct links to two of Edinburgh's oldest, most famous and successful family business dynasties - Jenners and Ben Line. Established in 1919, Jenners Proper
06/05/2009
Renfrewshire Council is embarking on a £1.5m rebuild of Paisley's Abbey Bridge. Diversions are in place and access to businesses on Bridge Street from Orchard Street and Lonend has been kept open. Renfrewshire House, Paisley Abbey and the Town Hall can be accessed from Cotton Street. The project
06/05/2009
FG Burnett Ltd has promoted Dan Smith and Neil Strachan to the post of senior surveyors. The double promotion is in recognition of the pair's contribution to the ongoing success of one of Scotland's largest independent commercial property consultancies. Dan Smith joined FG Burnett in 2005 as a gr
06/05/2009
Edinburgh's tram project is planning a series of initiatives during the Summer Festival to ensure residents and visitors have a positive experience. It has been agreed with stakeholders and retailers that tram track laying work should continue on Princes Street during August. This will allow the fa
06/05/2009
Culture Minister Michael Russell has announced the re-appointment of 15 members to the Board of Architecture and Design Scotland. The re-appointed members are:
06/05/2009
Work has begun on a new Waste Transfer Station on the outskirts of Wallyford. The construction marks second phase of work at Kinwegar on the A199. The first phase was the construction of Kinwegar Recycling Centre. East Lothain Council awarded building firm McLaughlin & Harvey Ltd a £3.24m contract
06/05/2009
The CIPS/Markit Purchasing Managers' Index® (PMI®) for construction rose sharply this month from 30.9 in March, to 38.1 in April. The indices follow trends in housing, commercial and civil engineering output, which all rose in April, though the overall figure still remains below the neutral 50 mar
05/05/2009
Support services, Public Private Partnership and construction company, Carillion, has been awarded two contracts by Network Rail - for the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link and the Great Eastern Overhead Line Enabling works - together worth £111m. The £80m contract for the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link proje
05/05/2009
Ryden has just published the latest edition of its highly respected Scottish Property Review. The publication is recognised as a barometer of the wider Scottish economy as well as the most in-depth and longest running study of the Scottish property market. Commenting on the findings in the 64th
05/05/2009
Around 90,000 houses will be offered energy efficiency measures thanks to a scheme backed by national and local Government. The Home Insulation Scheme will operate in selected areas across Scotland, and is expected to create or sustain up to 900 jobs. It is backed in the first year by £15m from th
05/05/2009
Law firm McGrigors and property consultants Ryden are hosting an event for young Aberdeen professionals working in the property sector. Young Professionals In Property will take place at Aberdeen Art Gallery on Thursday 14 May. Aberdeen City Council's Development Plan Team Leader, Gale Beattie, i
05/05/2009
The renewable energy division of the Aberdeen-based JCE Group of companies will celebrate its first birthday by taking a prominent stand and launching a new product at All-Energy '09 - the UK's largest renewable energy exhibition and conference being held at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre
05/05/2009
The UK's small and medium sized manufacturers saw orders for goods and output decline at the fastest rate in more than 20 years, according to the CBI's latest quarterly SME Trends survey. But firms are feeling hopeful that the pace of decline may start to moderate slightly over the next three mont
05/05/2009
The project to save and conserve Stanley Mills, which was led by Historic Scotland, has won a prestigious international award for excellence. The 2009 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra award will be shared between Historic Scotland and heritage-led regeneration specialists, T
05/05/2009
A state-of-the-art fitness suite was launched at Arbroath Academy on Friday. The new £56K suite, which was created from three converted classrooms, replaces the school's outmoded gym and is kitted out with the latest SHOKK fitness equipment. Angus Council's Education convener Peter Nield congratul
05/05/2009
Halcrow is expanding its transport planning team in Scotland with the appointment of a new regional development director, Gordon Buchan. Gordon, 34, will be based in the engineering firm's Edinburgh office, with a remit to expand the company's transport planning business within the private developm
05/05/2009
More than £2m of Lottery funding announced for Glasgow will change the face of community ownership in some of the city's most deprived areas. The money from the Big Lottery Fund follows the recent decision by Glasgow City Council to transfer public assets into the hands of local people. It sets a s
01/05/2009
A proposal to spend £12.7m in the next three years upgrading Campbeltown New Quay was approved by Argyll and Bute Council yesterday. The funds will be used to expand the marine facilities at the New Quay, and make the necessary associated road improvements. The design process, which is still at a
01/05/2009
Balfour Beatty, the international engineering, construction and services Group, has announced today that Consort, its specialist PPP healthcare company, has reached financial close on the £170m Fife General Hospital and Maternity Services PPP project for NHS Fife. Under the 30-year concession, Cons
01/05/2009
Scotland's towns feeling the pinch in the economic downturn can now bid for their share of the £60m Town Centre Regeneration Fund. Applications for the scheme which aims to revitalise the country's hard pressed high streets are now open. The fund will complement efforts already underway to support
01/05/2009
Scotland has the storage capacity, the natural resources, the technology and ambition to become Europe's leader in carbon capture and storage, First Minister Alex Salmond said today. The First Minister was speaking at Edinburgh Castle where he was joined by energy companies and leading academics fo
01/05/2009
The Levenmouth Area committee has approved an extra £201,000 of transportation projects for the town. This will bring the amount of money to be spent on transportation projects in the local area over the next year to £1.18m. Derek Crowe, Senior Manager Roads & Engineering Services said: "Roads, p
01/05/2009
A fact finding event being held this week on how local businesses and individuals could benefit from using or working with woodfuel in the Highlands and Islands has already attracted over 50 participants. The growing interest in the opportunities renewable energy can provide in the region has inspi
01/05/2009
Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism Jim Mather has announced an extension to the term of appointment of a member of the Board of Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The member whose term has been extended is Angus MacKenzie. Mr Angus MacKenzie is a Chartered Accountant and previously a partn
01/05/2009
Research by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has shown that construction managers over the age of 60 are the fastest growing age group in the sector. The research which looks at the impact of what an ageing population will have on the construction industry, revealed not only the implicatio
