Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Scotland Construction News Archive for October 2010
29/10/2010
The Scottish Property Federation (SPF) has warned, at its autumn conference, that the UK property industry faces a financing 'black hole'. £160 billion worth of property debt matures over the same five year period as the £81 billion of government cuts announced by the coalition government in the Co
29/10/2010
Robertson Construction Eastern Ltd has been appointed to build new council homes in Aberdeen in phase two of the City Council's new-build housing programme. The company will create a Homezone scheme, with a courtyard layout to encourage social interaction and create sheltered, useable, external spa
29/10/2010
Arbroath apprentice Ronnie Morrison has been crowned this year’s James Birnie Apprentice of the Year in recognition of his ability to deliver practical excellence in his work. Twenty-one year old Ronnie was presented with the prestigious award by Delhi Commonwealth Games Scotland Team silver medall
29/10/2010
Work is about to start on a major programme of refurbishment at the former Kingsland Primary School building at Rosetta Road in Peebles. The current Halyrude Primary School will occupy this building when it is completed. The refurbished building will provide a school with six classrooms, general p
29/10/2010
Six tenders for the Montrose swimming pool and sports centre development were received by Angus Council by the 21 October deadline. A spokesperson for the council said: “Each of the six contractors invited to tender have made submissions. Early indicators are that the current market conditions have
29/10/2010
Work on the new £20 million Musselburgh Primary Care Centre continues apace alongside some of Scotland’s most exciting archaeological finds. Roman remains dating from 140AD, including human skeletons with decapitated skulls have been found north of the Border for the first time. Flints used in t
28/10/2010
The Crown Estate has announced that is has awarded an agreement for lease for the Inner Sound tidal project to MeyGen, a joint venture between Atlantis, International Power and Morgan Stanley. With a capacity of up to 400 MW, the project is one of the world’s largest planned commercial tidal strea
28/10/2010
Work has started on the regeneration project for Main Street, Barrhead which will include a major facelift for the shopping centre. The centre’s exterior is to be repainted and new windows installed throughout. For this the council secured £36,000 from the Government’s town centre regeneration fund
28/10/2010
The international oil & gas facilities service provider, Petrofac, has been awarded a contract worth in excess of £500 million by Total E&P UK Limited (Total) for the development of a gas processing plant on the Shetland Islands. Work is scheduled to begin in October 2010, with first gas expected
28/10/2010
Two specialists from the Glasgow office of Archial, one of the country’s largest architectural practices, are to speak at the forthcoming SCALA (The Society of Chief Architects of Local Authorities) 2010 Conference in the Low Wood Hotel, on the banks of Lake Windermere, on 21st/22nd October 2010. K
28/10/2010
Reluctant landlords - a term which has been coined to describe a growing group of people who have been affected by the stagnant home sales market - are multiplying. They are people who can’t sell their homes and have decided to enter the letting market and they are now such a part of life that Sara
28/10/2010
How do businesses ensure they never miss a new sales lead? They get an app. That's the solution being launched today by Scotland's main public sector procurement body. Public Contract Scotland (PCS), the Scottish Government's purchasing portal, is launching the world's first app specifically design
27/10/2010
Wind turbine manufacturer Skykon has filed for a suspension of payments. The company announced yesterday that the creditors will "shortly receive additional information" from the supervisor on the further course of events. “The wind turbine industry is project based and very cyclical, and it is c
27/10/2010
Construction was the largest contributor to economic growth in the third quarter of the year. Figures published on Tuesday revealed that output in the sector increased by four per cent. This makes it the largest contributor to the 0.8 per cent increase seen in overall GDP. Liz Peace, chief execut
27/10/2010
Kirriemuir group Youth Power have enlisted the help of local roads maintenance company S & S Grewar to carry out improvements to the BMX track on Kirriemuir Hill. The track was constructed several years ago by Angus Council, and is maintained by the council as part of regular park keeping at Kirrie
27/10/2010
Leading construction firms are set to compete for the contract to deliver traffic flow technology along the M90 in Fife as part of the Forth Replacement Crossing (FRC) scheme. They comprise Morrison Construction; John Graham; a Joint Venture between Sir Robert McAlpine and Costain; and Forthspan, a
27/10/2010
Galliford Try plc, the housebuilding and construction group, has been awarded £23.2 million of contracts within the health and education sectors. In the education sector, Galliford Try has been awarded an £8.1 million contract to develop the University of Manchester’s School of Chemical Engineering
27/10/2010
The Scottish Government has cited an Angus primary school as an excellent example of energy efficiency in the public sector. The new Seaview Primary School building in Monifieth is featured in the Scottish Government’s recently published ‘Conserve and Save – The Energy Efficiency Action Plan' for S
26/10/2010
Ministers have approved plans to help minimise the cumulative visual impact of overhead lines around the new Beauly-Denny power line, including the removal of over 100km of existing overhead transmission line and steel pylons. When the new line was approved by Scottish Ministers in January 2010, ex
26/10/2010
Brian Minns (18) is overjoyed that an easing of the recession has led to him securing a sought after apprenticeship as a roofer with Harrison Duff Ltd. Brian joined Fife Council’s Get Ready for Work programme to learn construction techniques at the Skills Development Centre in Kirkcaldy. Through
26/10/2010
A derelict listed building in the centre of Banff may be repaired by its owners, saving it from demolition. The building at 22/24 Low Street has suffered years of neglect. The council has been monitoring the condition of the private building for a number of years, but it has significantly deterior
26/10/2010
The first ever guidance on standards in temporary accommodation is to be published by Shelter Scotland and CIH Scotland in November. The aim of the guidance is to provide local authorities and other temporary accommodation providers with a benchmark to aim for in terms of the quality, location and
26/10/2010
Scottish Enterprise’s Energy and Low Carbon Technologies team has announced an agreement with Glasgow based TUV NEL, an international technology services organisation, to drive forward the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) opportunities in Scotland. As initial step in this contract, T
26/10/2010
A new Practice Brief from the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) gives housing organisations a starting point for reducing their environmental impact. The guide, supported by Matrix Housing Partnership, shows how organisations can gain the commitment of employees to culture change and can engage
25/10/2010
Plans for Kinnaird Village in Larbert continue to forge ahead following Ryden’s instruction by NHS Forth Valley and a development consortium comprising Cala Homes and Persimmon Homes to market a select number of commercial development opportunities at the village centre on the former 218-acre NHS si
25/10/2010
The new homes industry is still waiting for Autumn's traditional uplift to get home building quotas back on track, according the latest figures. The number of new homes registered with NHBC dropped slightly during the last month, from 9,954 in August to 9,033 in September. Figures from NHBC also s
25/10/2010
The 12MW Glenlee hydro-electric power station in Scotland is part of the 106.5MW Galloway Hydro-Electric power scheme, which was the first large scale integrated hydro-electricity supply complex in the UK when it was built and commissioned in the mid 1930s. A 60km long network of lochs, dams, tunn
25/10/2010
A property investment firm has completed its biggest-ever deal after securing the purchase of an iconic Perthshire building. Cowiesburn Asset Management facilitated the sale of the historic Old Academy in Perth on behalf of a client based in the north of Scotland. The purchase of the former schoo
25/10/2010
“Small and medium sized construction businesses must act now to up-skill if they want to take advantage of the growing demand for low carbon construction”, this was the challenge outlined by Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for construction. He laun
25/10/2010
Premium developer, Stewart Milne Timber Systems, has scooped the award for Sustainability Innovation at the 2010 Inside Housing Sustainable Housing Awards for its new Sigma II build system. The system was born out of an extensive research and development project which included building and testing
22/10/2010
Work is well underway on the first two phases of the Inverness South West Flood Relief Scheme and a contract for a third phase of work will be awarded early next month. The £10 million scheme will divert flood water from the south side of Inverness away from residential properties in Hilton, Lochar
22/10/2010
As part of energy saving week from 25 to 31 October, East Renfrewshire Council has joined forces with the Energy Saving Scotland advice centre, to provide free and impartial home energy saving advice to local residents which could save them a huge £250 per household on energy bills. Energy saving a
22/10/2010
A new £100,000 children's play area will be built in Polson Park, Tranent. Polson Park is the largest open space in the town but the existing play area has become run down and provides limited play opportunity. Recent surveys carried out in Tranent indicated that the play area was the single mos
22/10/2010
An environmental project co-funded by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust has been nominated as the Partnership Project of the Year in the Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Awards 2010. The Gairdoch Initiative has created 12 modern apprenticeships in Amenity Horticulture for young people in former minin
22/10/2010
Plans for a new 50 metre swimming pool in Aberdeen have been recommended for approval. Members of Aberdeen City Council's Development Management Sub-Committee will meet to consider the plans, lodged by Aberdeen Sports Village, at the Town House next Thursday [28 October]. The application seeks per
22/10/2010
Every architecture practice undertaking public works in the UK will be affected by the CSR Review, according to Christopher Littlemore, CEO of Archial. "Those aspiring to continue to find work in the public sector will have to think creatively to identify innovative ways of achieving clients’ goals
21/10/2010
There has been an improvement in planning performance, according to Scotland's Chief Statistician. The percentage of local applications decided within two months was 67.1 per cent in the period April - June 2010, an increase from 62.7 per cent between August 2009 - March 2010. The percentage of m
21/10/2010
A report detailing progress on Dundee's Central Waterfront project is to be discussed at the Policy and Resources Committee on Monday 25 October 2010. Leader of the Administration, Ken Guild said: "Steady progress is being made with the regeneration of the Central Waterfront in Dundee. All of the m
21/10/2010
A two-month consultation period on next year's council-house rent levels in Dundee is set to get under way. A report to the city council's housing, Dundee Contract Services and environment services committee on Monday (October 25) seeks approval for the consultation on proposed options for rents an
21/10/2010
Argyll and Bute Council has temporarily closed Campbeltown Town Hall, on health and safety grounds. Gaps in the slates have allowed birds to enter the roof space. The council is now assessing how the contamination they have caused can be cleared. The roof has already been identified as an area whi
21/10/2010
Vehicle Bodies (Forfar) Ltd is the latest company to benefit from the Angus Grant Scheme, the council's grant scheme for businesses with 25 or fewer employees. The £4843 grant awarded to the specialist coachbuilders has assisted with the purchase of tools and equipment for the business. Vehicle Bo
21/10/2010
James Baird associates from Lanarkshire are a flourishing architectural practice established since 1991. Through their accomplishment and experience they have acquired a reputation for delivering successful & imaginative solutions to fulfil clients aspirations throughout Central Scotland. “From ou
20/10/2010
Work has begun on the first council housing in Edinburgh in a generation. Housing Minister Alex Neil cut the first sod of earth from the construction site in Gracemount where 215 homes will be developed. The homes are being built by the city council, backed by £7.5 million of Scottish government f
20/10/2010
Failure to maintain investment in affordable housing and core infrastructure will seriously hamper Scotland’s economic recovery, according to Scottish Building Federation Chief Executive Michael Levack. Commenting on the UK spending review, presented to MPs at Westminster today by Chancellor of the
20/10/2010
Scottish charity, Planning Aid for Scotland (PAS), is running a unique event to open up a dialogue between planners and people working with Gypsy/Travellers. The seminar is being run in partnership with the Scottish Traveller Education Programme (STEP). Petra Biberbach, Chief Executive of Planning
20/10/2010
Scotland's economic recovery risks being undermined by swingeing Westminster cuts to public spending, Finance Secretary John Swinney warned ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review. Mr Swinney said: "The UK government will be judged on the decisions it will announce today - decisions that will cu
20/10/2010
Education Secretary Michael Russell has announced 650 new training places for employers working to support a low carbon economy, delivered through Skills Development Scotland. The training is being funded with the support of the European Social Fund to enable employers to upskill and reskill employ
20/10/2010
Social Housing Budget Cuts are a "disaster waiting to happen", according to a housing and homelessness charity. Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said: “If Scotland has to suffer the same fate as England and take an above average hit to its social housing budget the impact will be disastr
19/10/2010
A listed building in the centre of Banff is to be demolished in the interest of public safety after serious deterioration in its condition. The privately-owned building at 22/24 Low Street has been inspected and is judged to be dangerous and beyond economic repair. Aberdeenshire Council’s building
19/10/2010
A £6.5 million dual carriageway scheme on the A75 has opened to traffic, over two months ahead of schedule. The 1.4 mile Cairntop to Barlae scheme will provide improved access to and from the west coast ports, supporting businesses, communities and tourism across south west Scotland and beyond. Tr
19/10/2010
An application of the weld-free Roll-a-Flex system has just been completed to seal 176 sunpipes into the roof of one of Sainsburys’ brand new stores being constructed at Prestwick near Glasgow. M.R. Site Services’ Roll-a-Flex was chosen by Euroclad, to seal the openings on its Secret Fix SF500 roo
19/10/2010
Federations that represent employers from across the building industry have confirmed their continuing support for the CITB-ConstructionSkills levy/grant system - claiming that despite harder times, the current system still has an important role to play. In 2008, CITB-ConstructionSkills was awarded
19/10/2010
A brand new multi-purpose sports facility has been named the best of its kind in the north east of Scotland thanks in part to the winning finish provided by products from leading paint manufacturer Johnstone's. The £28million Aberdeen Sports Village includes a nine-court sports hall, a third genera
19/10/2010
Jewson, the UK's leading supplier of timber and building products to the trade and public, has launched a new kitchen showroom website, with an appointment setting facility enabling users to set up a meeting with their local showroom sales representative.
18/10/2010
The pioneering New Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow has won this year’s Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award. The hospital is the first dedicated ambulatory care and diagnostic facility in Scotland and is delivering healthcare in a whole new way. Medical tests and consultations are carried out
18/10/2010
Rural Affairs and the Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead has called on Crown Estate Commissioners to consult with the Scottish Government before making any further sales of assets in Scotland. In a letter to the Crown Estate's Scottish Commissioner, Mr Lochhead stated his concern that the organ
18/10/2010
Galliford Try is pleased to announce the promotion of Mike Keith to the position of Managing Director of its building business in Scotland, Morrison Construction, having previously held the position of General Manager. Aged 51, Mike joined Morrison Construction in 1990 and has held a number of seni
18/10/2010
The final touches are being made to a £400,000 project to regenerate Mastrick town centre. Mastrick is one of five town centres in Aberdeen which successfully bid for funding from the Scottish Government's Town Centre Regeneration Fund. Aberdeen City Council working in partnership with local commu
18/10/2010
Housing developers are being urged to get on board with a scheme aimed at building more affordable homes in the Capital. The National Housing Trust (NHT) scheme, being led by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Futures Trust, is looking to provide up to 1,000 affordable homes in Scotland. The
18/10/2010
Archial, part of the privately held international Ingenium Group, has completed the £30 million Langside College in Glasgow on time and within budget following a 2.5 year project working on site on a design and build contract novated to Balfour Beatty. The new 14,000 sqm facility accommodates: dram
15/10/2010
Mansell has been awarded a multi-million pound contract to convert an existing seventeen-storey office building into a Premier Inn hotel and reclad retail units at St Andrew House, West Nile Street in Glasgow for West Nile Construction. The overall value of the project is £27.5 million. The cont
15/10/2010
Coastal communities in Kincardine and Mearns are being consulted on regeneration priorities to help them develop in coming decades. The Aberdeen City and Shire Structure Plan, prepared jointly by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils, represents a shared vision for the future of the area. Its
15/10/2010
Following a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond today announced that the spectacular Rani Ki Vav Stepwell will be digitally captured for future generations by a team of Scottish experts. It’s the second international heritage destination to be rec
15/10/2010
Scottish based TUV NEL, a leading provider of pipeline fluid management services to the global petroleum industry, has announced dates for its inaugural Oilfield Water Management Workshop in Calgary, Canada. The event, which was initially due to be held on 15 and 16 September, will now take place
15/10/2010
When Portlethen Academy pupil Darren Bragg popped along the road for a job interview at a local engineering firm, little did he realise that he would be heading up the company’s new US base just seven years later. Darren left school a fortnight before his 16th birthday and secured employment at nea
15/10/2010
Development activity in Edinburgh defied expectations in 2009, showing only a modest reduction, according to the latest figures published by the Council. In its second annual Development Activity Bulletin, the Planning Service summarises the amount of development being progressed through planning a
14/10/2010
Projected cuts to Scotland's capital investment budget could lead to the loss of 47,000 jobs from the Scottish construction industry, the Scottish Building Federation (SBF) has warned. The body, which represents more than 700 individual construction firms from sole traders to major national contrac
14/10/2010
The Highland Council's Planning and Development Service has launched a protocol for dealing with planning applications for people with disabilities. This protocol aims to ensure the fast and efficient handling of applications for planning permission which solely relate to works to improve a disable
14/10/2010
Proposals put forward by local authorities on new Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) risk ignoring the importance of Construction and the Built Environment and the sector’s training and skills needs, jeopardising the future recovery of UK plc, says CITB-ConstructionSkills. A flourishing Construct
14/10/2010
A taste of a bright future for Kilwinning’s Main Street is to be served up later this month. Ayrshire farmers and producers are bringing their multi-award winning produce to the Main Street when the Ayrshire Farmers’ Market comes to the town for the first time. This follows the completion of the £
14/10/2010
As public sector spending cuts and job losses are set to continue hurting some of the most vulnerable people in our society, Shelter Scotland is reminding people in the Borders of its groundbreaking free legal advice service for people facing repossession and eviction. The Scottish Borders Housing
14/10/2010
East Dunbartonshire Council’s Building Standards Service will relocate to William Patrick Library in Kirkintilloch between 18 to 22 October. Disruption will be kept to a minimum at the Service’s current location in Grange Avenue, Milngavie. The move is the latest in a series of relocation steps to
13/10/2010
Housing and homeless charity Shelter Scotland has welcomed today’s announcement that the Highland Council's application to extend pressured area status has been approved by the Scottish Government. Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: “We welcome this common-sense decision that will he
13/10/2010
An application to site an opencast coal mine near the Midlothian village of Cousland has been rejected by Midlothian Council's planning committee. Meeting today in Dalkeith, the committee agreed unanimously to endorse the view of planners and reject the application for a site known as Airfield Far
13/10/2010
Steps to prevent shortages of affordable housing in Highland have been announced today. The Highland Council's application to extend and expand 'pressured areas' status has been approved by the Housing and Communities Minister, Alex Neil. These changes will immediately affect almost 6,000 tenancie
13/10/2010
The contract for one of the City of Edinburgh Council’s pioneering homeless services has been awarded. Link Group Ltd will be delivering the Private Sector Leasing (PSL) scheme which provides a major source of rented accommodation for homeless people in the Capital. The scheme offers long term con
13/10/2010
One of Scotland’s leading lettings portal has received a unique 10th birthday present – it’s best ever monthly visitor traffic. Citylets.co.uk has seen a record number of visitors to its site in August 2010 which coincided with its official 10th anniversary. The impressive stats are 60% higher th
13/10/2010
The official opening of a multi-million pound streetscape renewal project marks a major milestone in the Green Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI). Green THI board chairman Councillor John Stewart officially opened the £2.83million Green Streetscape Refurbishment when he unveiled a granite plaque o
12/10/2010
Angus Council is set to begin building ten houses in Carnoustie and two in Monifieth and also plans to construct 11 houses at Harry Farmer Court, Arbroath. The council’s Neighbourhood Services Committee (7 October) approved acceptance of the lowest tender of £1,274,922 from WH Brown Construction (D
12/10/2010
Laurie Footbridge in Wilton Lodge Park, Hawick, is due to be closed to the public for ten weeks while essential maintenance work and painting takes place. The work is due to start on Wednesday 13 October. The main contractor, who will carry out painting, concrete repairs and resurfacing works to t
12/10/2010
Angus Council will be carrying out resurfacing work on the U405 from Clova to Braedownie from until Friday 15 October. Drivers are warned that long delays are expected as considerable stretches of the carriageway are being treated. A council spokesperson said: “We would ask motorists and residents
12/10/2010
Argyll and Bute Council has secured home insulation cash. First Minister Alex Salmond announced the £520,000 grant – part of the £10million Universal Home Insulation Scheme - as he unveiled details of Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Action Plan. The money will be used to improve the energy efficienc
12/10/2010
A strategic partnership between waste management and recycling company Binn Skips and St John’s Shopping Centre in Perth has proved that making an effort when it comes to recycling is no waste of time. Leaving the business of waste collection to one side for the day, the two companies headed throug
12/10/2010
Edinburgh Napier University has been formally handed the keys to its new Sighthill campus from contractor Balfour Beatty Construction. The state-of-the-art building, designed by RMJM Architects, will formally open its doors to 5,000 students in January 2011 following the final internal fit-out thi
11/10/2010
Rok has won a framework contract for Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). HIE, the Scottish Government's economic and community development agency, has appointed Rok as sole contractor on the framework worth up to £32m over four years. The company, which held HIE's previous Prime Contractor Fr
11/10/2010
A major seminar drawing together wind farm developers and other key stakeholders will take place in Edinburgh on Thursday 14th October. The seminar, hosted by leading archaeological company, AOC Archaeology and award winning public affairs and public relations specialists, Indigo, is taking place a
11/10/2010
A new, £5m state-of-the-art visitor centre at the site of the battle of Bannockburn will be built in time for the next year of Homecoming in 2014, Minister for Culture Fiona Hyslop announced today. The landmark project will see Historic Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland work in partnersh
11/10/2010
South Ayrshire Council has approved a £800,000 deal for the Gaiety Theatre in Ayr that will see the cafe/bar re-opening in the near future and the box office being reinstated to deal with bookings for the Council’s wide artistic programme. It was standing room only in the Council chamber as Gaiety
11/10/2010
Rent arrears in Angus are continuing to fall. A report considered by the council’s Neighbourhood Services Committee (7 October) showed that arrears declined to a level of 7% in August, a drop from the June level of 7.25%. Angus Council’s housing spokesperson councillor Jim Millar said: “Once more
11/10/2010
BAM Properties has let its development in Buchanan Street, Glasgow to Nike. The global sports brand has secured its target of a flasghip store on Buchanan Street. Opening is scheduled for Spring 2011. Nike has taken the property on institutional terms as befits the strength of the location. Buchan
08/10/2010
Large pension funds are being targeted to invest in affordable housing in Scotland, it was revealed today. Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil told leaders from the UK's biggest pension funds that the Scottish Government is looking for new ways to fund low cost homes. Housing Associations a
08/10/2010
The £250m regeneration of Craigmillar took a step closer this week as plans were approved for the Council’s East Neighbourhood Office and library. Forming the first element of the Craigmillar Town Centre Masterplan, the council-funded and managed development will house 350 council staff and provide
08/10/2010
Glasgow has taken over presidency of worldwide cities lighting network. The Charter was officially signed during the Lighting Urban Community International (LUCI) Annual General Meeting (15-19 September 2010) at Chartres, France. Jean-Michel Daclin, Deputy Mayor of Lyon and the outgoing LUCI Presi
08/10/2010
Almost two-thirds of those helped by a support service for workers made redundant are back in work or training within seven months of losing their jobs, a new survey has revealed. The success of the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) service - which steps in when redundancies are a
08/10/2010
More Inverclyde homes are set to benefit from Inverclyde Council’s local energy savings scheme following a successful bid for £200,000 funding. The money from the Scottish Government’s Universal Home Insulation Scheme means that Inverclyde Council and its LESS Inverclyde partners SOLAS Insulation L
08/10/2010
Aberdeenshire Council will launch a free advice brochure to provide guidance on the care and maintenance of historic buildings at an event to celebrate the Peterhead Regeneration Scheme later this month. The booklet ‘Advice for Sustainable Maintenance of Traditional Buildings’ includes information
07/10/2010
Rok has announced it is investing in skills by taking on 50 apprentices. The recruitment drive bucks the national trend which has seen a dramatic 86 percent drop in the number of new trade apprenticeships since the height of the construction boom. The apprentices will be based at Rok Centres acros
07/10/2010
Shelter Scotland’s Support Services team in South Lanarkshire has won a competitive tender to further extend its services to help even more individuals, couples and families cope with the uncertainty and upheaval of homelessness. The Blantyre-based team won the contract from South Lanarkshire Counc
07/10/2010
John Sisk & Son Ltd, one of the largest construction groups in UK and Ireland, and a leading hotel and leisure building contractor has successfully integrated modular bedrooms supplied by Corus Living Solutions to complete a 198-bedroom hotel in Glasgow city centre for innovative hotel company citiz
07/10/2010
More than 8,000 Aberdeen residents are to be given the chance to have their homes insulated for free this winter. Residents in the Cove, Torry and Nigg areas will be written to shortly, with details of the Aberdeen Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) which is being funded by the City Council wi
07/10/2010
Scottish Ministers are seeking views on changes to plans designed to safeguard a Morayshire town from the impact of flooding. Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham has launched a public consultation on a crucial modification to the Elgin Flood Prevention Scheme and has written to some 200 organi
07/10/2010
A £43m scheme which will save more than 1,000 Edinburgh homes and businesses from the threat of flooding was officially opened by Roseanna Cunningham. Joining the Minister for Environment in celebrating the project's completion were pupils from Colinton Primary School, one of the properties now pro
06/10/2010
House prices in the west of Scotland dipped slightly in the last three months following a strong rally over the summer according to the latest GSPC Property Market Report. Average selling prices across the region fell by 2.0 per cent in the third quarter of the year and by a more modest 0.8 per ce
06/10/2010
Sisk has made two senior appointments at its recently opened Glasgow office. Sisk opened its Glasgow office in June to serve the Scotland region and is working on contracts to the value of £30m including the recently completed citizenM modular-built hotel in Glasgow. Gavin Currie has joined Sisk a
06/10/2010
Scotland's first national target to improve energy efficiency was unveiled today. Local councils are also to be given £10 million in grants to offer free insulation measures and provide energy saving advice to up to 100,000 households. Scotland's Energy Efficiency Action Plan includes a headline t
06/10/2010
A practical event for builders, construction workers and contractors will take place in Orkney next week in a bid to reduce the death toll in Scotland's construction industry. The Orkney Construction Training Group has organised a free safety and health awareness event at Orkney College on Monday 1
06/10/2010
An employee of Aberdeenshire based ThinJack has reached the finals of a prestigious industry award. Michael Smith has been named as a finalist in the Young Technician of the Year section of the 2010 Oil & Gas UK Awards which celebrate the people and businesses which make an exceptional contribution
06/10/2010
A new strategy designed to make it easier for businesses and individuals to access advice and support on skills was launched today. The Scottish Government has refreshed the Skills for Scotland Strategy, which aims to simplify the skills system, empower individuals and employers to access help and
05/10/2010
Plans to raise the standard of private rented housing in Scotland have been unveiled today by Housing and Communities Minister, Alex Neil. The Private Rented Housing (Scotland) Bill will protect the good reputation of Scotland's private landlords by improving the law on how they are registered. Cou
05/10/2010
High-rise flats in Glasgow’s Laurieston were reduced to rubble in just 10 seconds. The Glasgow Housing Association 23-storey double block at 54 and 66 Norfolk Court - once home to 276 families - was razed in a controlled blowdown. The demolition is part of the planned regeneration of the area whic
05/10/2010
Carbon monoxide monitors will be installed in every council home in Edinburgh with a gas supply over the next two years. The decision was taken today at the meeting of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Health, Social Care and Housing Committee. Around 18,000 council homes in the capital have a gas s
05/10/2010
A new development of 35 council homes has been officially opened in Macmerry - more than 30 years after the last council properties were built in the village. Cabinet member for Housing Councillor Stuart Currie joined tenant and community representatives, council staff and contractors to mark the c
05/10/2010
A Parliamentary Answer by Housing Minister Alex Neil has revealed that 50,000 Scots households will lose an average of £10 per week as a result of changes to housing benefit proposed by the UK Government. Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, the housing and homelessness charity, said: “We vi
05/10/2010
Residents and users of Loch Etive are being asked to provide their views on the future use and development of the loch for the next five years. The draft Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan (ICZM) will, once finalised, set down guidelines for council planners, other regulators and stakeholders
04/10/2010
Funding of £750,000 to improve flood forecasting services in Scotland has been announced. The flood warning system will provide the emergency services with better and earlier indications of flooding risk and help protect lives, homes and livelihoods. The Scottish Flood Forecasting Service, which s
04/10/2010
A pioneering project facilitated by Scotland's Regulatory Review Group (RRG) will help realise the vast potential of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) energy schemes. The group, which today publishes its annual report, has looked at how the process of environmental planning applications to use the
04/10/2010
A Perthshire based structural engineering firm has become king of the swingers with the completion of a chimpanzee bridge. ADAC-structures built the bridge to allow the chimps at Blairdrummond Safari Park to access the landward house from the island on which they spend their days. Managing Direc
04/10/2010
A new 15,000 sq ft warehouse and office building at Peterseat Park, Altens, has gone on the market. The speculative build consists of an 8138 sq ft warehouse, 6723 sq ft office accommodation and a large yard area extending to 4071 sq yds. The developers, Forbes Homes, will consider renting or a
04/10/2010
Dan Smith has to use his loaf when negotiating commercial property deals. But the senior surveyor with FG Burnett in Albyn Place in Aberdeen had to learn a whole new set of skills to become a member of the city’s second oldest incorporated trade. To join the Aberdeen Baker Incorporation – founded
04/10/2010
One of Scotland’s leading lettings portal has announced a major expansion of its quarterly reports that will provide the country’s most in-depth analysis of the rental market. For the first time, Citylets will include rental statistics from outwith Scotland’s three biggest cities of Edinburgh, Glas
01/10/2010
October sees Midlothian Council hand over its first solar water heating houses. The six first floor flats and six semi-detached houses at the Council’s new affordable housing development in Cuiken Terrace, Penicuik have this new system installed. Solar water heating reduces the amount of fossil
01/10/2010
Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) has appointed MITIE Property Services (UK) Ltd as the contractor for its 2010 Scottish Housing Quality Standards (SHQS) work. MITIE was awarded the six-month contract, due to go on-site on October 4, after a careful tendering and selection process by PoLHA
01/10/2010
Tayside Construction Forum’s chairman Ken Laing has welcomed the opening of the public exhibition of shortlisted entries to the design competition for the Dundee outpost of the V&A and expressed his hopes that the project can provide a much needed boost for the local construction industry. “The Dun
01/10/2010
Home builders in Scotland are gearing up to address the low carbon agenda with the introduction of new Building Standards which mean Scotland now has the highest technical standards of anywhere in Europe. Whilst the carbon emissions of new build homes have already been reduced by 60% on 1990 level
01/10/2010
A new law to protect homeowners across Scotland facing repossession comes into force today. The Homeowner and Debtor Protection (Scotland) Act, provides the strongest legislative protection anywhere in the UK for those at risk of repossession. All cases will now be heard in court with lenders requ
01/10/2010
UNIC Cranes Europe, in collaboration with specialist demolition contractors, MacWilliam Demolition, has earned its place in history by helping to restore the famous 560-year-old Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian Scotland. A large metal canopy had hidden most of the exterior view of the famous chapel f
