Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Scotland Construction News Archive for April 2010
30/04/2010
Historic Scotland stonemasons are travelling to the United States this weekend to help train young people in Harlem, New York. Kenny McCaffrey from Cupar and Malcolm Hutcheon from Inch will work with young people learning masonry and preservation skills through the Abyssinian Development Corporatio
30/04/2010
Youngsters at St Vincent’s Primary school, Autism Unit and Thornlaw nursery performed a variety of songs and dance for the official opening of their £7.5 million campus. Archbishop Mario Conti, Councillor Paul Rooney and guests joined staff and pupils of the school on Monday, 26th April for the mor
30/04/2010
The Scottish Government is being urged to help Midlothian Council repair the county's storm-battered roads. Derek Milligan, Council Leader, made the repeated request after the full council meeting heard how recent once-in-a generation winter weather caused almost £4m worth of damage to the roads ne
30/04/2010
Celebrity chef and long-time Erskine supporter Nick Nairn will tomorrow open the £2.7 million Erskine Garden Centre and café designed by Archial Architects to the public. The 40,000 sq ft purpose-built facility, which replaces the former Erskine Garden Centre in the heart of the veterans’ charity e
30/04/2010
Those attending an exhibition on the latest phase of the mixed-use development focused on Armadale Station have given overwhelming support to the proposed first phase of residential housing and a care home. Armadale Station Community Development highlighted its proposals for 170 homes, a 60 bed car
30/04/2010
Arran's String Road will close on Tuesday for two months to allow £1.3 million worth of much-needed improvement works to take place. Major work will be carried out to widen and resurface the road, replace culverts and upgrade drainage and verges, improving road conditions for residents, local busin
30/04/2010
J&E Shepherd and DM Hall Chartered Surveyors have been appointed joint agents for Fountain Business Centre in Coatbridge town centre where a range of modern open plan offices from 100 sq ft up to 1500 sq ft are available for let. Reconfiguration of space may also be possible to suite specific requ
30/04/2010
The Liberal Democrat and Conservative Parties have made welcome election pledges to boost support for local green electricity schemes and encourage households and communities to benefit from them, Friends of the Earth have revealed. Friends of the Earth contacted the main political parties as part
30/04/2010
Householders in the Highlands are invited to take part in the Smart Living event taking place at the Eastgate shopping Centre on 7th and 8th May. The event will showcase information, demonstrations, displays and shows on a wide range of “green” issues, from food waste to energy, furniture recycli
30/04/2010
A new hide has opened at one of Argyll and Bute’s best-loved havens for wading birds. The view from the hide at Broxwood, Sandbank, near Dunoon, looks right over the flat lands and estuary at the head of the Holy Loch. The project was originally identified by the Argyll Forest Landscape Partnershi
29/04/2010
Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) has been shortlisted for a Scottish Home Award for its new development at Western Harbour. The Goosander Place development, which will be officially opened in June, is the first affordable housing at Western Harbour. It has been shortlisted along with fou
29/04/2010
Work on Alloa's town centre neared completion as work on three of the four street affected was completed this week. Shillinghill, Primrose Street and Drysdale Street have all had a major revamp since work began last September. Over the weekend new street furniture including stainless steel benches
29/04/2010
The Scottish Government is being urged to consider bringing the former Nigg oil yard into public ownership. The Highland Council Convener Sandy Park and Leader of the Administration Michael Foxley have jointly written to John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary, encouraging him to consider the direct acquis
29/04/2010
The Church of Scotland will begin to formulate its first-ever strategic plan for ecclesiastical buildings, subject to the approval of the General Assembly. The Special Commission on the Third Article Declaratory, which was set up to investigate whether the Kirk should stick to a system of territori
29/04/2010
East Lothian Council has been given the power to borrow up to £25 million to help build more affordable homes in the county. The Council will use the loan facility to lend funds to East Lothian Housing Association (ELHA), which will develop more sites for low cost homes. The loan facility will be
29/04/2010
The Scottish Borders Council (SBC) is launching a major programme to develop land for employment in by stimulating commercial development. The project will focus on acquiring land in Hawick, Coldstream, Duns, Lauder and Peebles and investing in infrastructure on five sites including servicing, acce
29/04/2010
The annual rate of house price inflation moved into double digits for the first time since June 2007, according to a report by Nationwide. The price of a typical UK property rose by a seasonally adjusted 1.0% month-on-month in April, leaving house prices 10.5% higher than a year earlier. Commentin
29/04/2010
A new mural to brighten the seafront at Ardrossan is due for completion next month. Pupils at Ardrossan Academy and the local community have been working with artist Alison Thomas to create an iconic mural, entitled “Talking images”, at the site of the old St Peters School. The project is backed by
29/04/2010
A project which will help vulnerable people living in fuel poverty in the South West of Scotland has been given a £100,000 boost from the ScottishPower Energy People Trust. The Trust has made the grant to the Energy Agency to fund a scheme which will reach people who miss out on mainstream support
29/04/2010
The cost of poor quality housing for Scottish people is being counted. Just the NHS bill for treating a wide range of illnesses linked directly to living in cold, damp and often dangerous homes within Scotland is a large portion of the £2.5 billion a year it costs nationally, according to a new stu
28/04/2010
A £1.65 million contract to resurface the M8 between Junctions II and III at Livingston was awarded this week. Transport Scotland today announced that CEMEX UK Surfacing Ltd will be undertaking the work, which will deliver 2.5 miles of improved road surface, providing motorists with a safer, smooth
28/04/2010
Work has started onsite at a £27m mental health facility in Dumfries. Designed by Archial Architects, it is located on a greenfield site beyond Crichton University Campus. The care-driven 85-bed mental health facility will incorporate a variety of components, including facilities for: adult in-pat
28/04/2010
Ambitious plans to develop a multi-million pound education and business park in Inverness have taken a step forward with the appointment of a full-time director to lead the project. Ruaraidh MacNeil has been appointed Inverness Campus Project Director by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Mr M
28/04/2010
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will be working harder than ever to draw additional investment into the region and to build on the region's natural advantages as a low carbon economy. The two messages featured prominently in the agency's latest three-year operating plan which has been approve
28/04/2010
A legal challenge could delay the construction of the new Aberdeen Bypass, according to Transport Scotland. The agency responsible for the road made the claim about a Court of Session action by Road Sense. Opponents to the scheme have raised concerns over costs and the environmental impact. The
28/04/2010
An exciting new venture is being launched in Aberdeen city centre to boost business, tourism, leisure and retail opportunities in the area. The city council is working with a consortium of independent businesses to create a Merchant Quarter. The consortium is seeking to promote the businesses and d
28/04/2010
Perth & Kinross Council has announced proposals to build 45 new Council houses in Methven, Scone, Pitlochry and Alyth at a total cost of almost £5,700,000. A meeting of Councillors on Monday approved a bid to the Scottish Government for £1,350,000 which would part-fund the project. The bid will be
28/04/2010
Businesses have already signed up to employ more than 7,000 modern apprentices in the coming year, it was announced today. The bookings taken by Skills Development Scotland will allow more than 7,000 young people and adults to start an apprenticeship this month. The announcement, made at the Skill
28/04/2010
Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has appointed Roddy Cook as a residential surveyor covering East Lothian and the Scottish Borders. Mr Cook has a wealth of residential surveying experience, having worked for several national surveying practices as well as in local government. Speaking of his appointme
28/04/2010
State-owned mortgage providers are trailing behind smaller lenders and building societies for customer satisfaction, according to the latest survey from Which? Money experts. The survey found that Bank of Scotland had the lowest customer score with 41%, with Halifax (44%), Northern Rock (45%) and L
27/04/2010
Construction companies are being offered the opportunity to bid for a multi-million pound A77 carriageway widening project that will deliver improvements on this vital route to the Stranraer and Cairnryan ferry ports. The tender notice for the A77 Parkend to Bennane upgrade, issued today, is the fi
27/04/2010
Increases in enquiries, orders and anticipated workload indicate that the specialist sector may be stabilising according to the latest NSCC State of Trade Survey. The results for the first quarter of 2010 show that enquiries have risen by 9% and orders by 18% compared to the previous quarter. This
27/04/2010
Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning Keith Brown cut the first sod at the site of the new Forth Valley College campus in Alloa today. Work on the £21 million development, supported by the Scottish Government's £17 million capital investment in the further education estate and undertaken by Mil
27/04/2010
Over 150 Leith properties will be modernised by the Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) to achieve the Scottish Quality Housing Standards (SHQS) this year. Ninety three flats on Buchanan Street, 24 on North Junction Street, 15 on Coburg Street, 11 on Shore Street, five on North Fort Street, o
27/04/2010
The Alliance is the Scottish Government and Fife Council's preferred development partner for the development of affordable housing across Fife. Yesterday, the Alliance commemorated the achievement by laying a date stone set into the foundation of its latest development of 56 homes at Scotscraig Dri
27/04/2010
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has approved £620,000 funding towards the expansion of a local engineering and fabrication firm. Isleburn Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Global Energy Group Ltd, applied for HIE funding towards a new fabrication workshop and shot blast and paint shop in In
27/04/2010
Pulteneytown People's Project (PPP) is hoping to start work in July on a £4 million ground breaking community facility for Wick, if the final funding pieces fall into place. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has confirmed £400,000 for the project which will provide a one stop purpose built fac
27/04/2010
A new initiative to support social landlords in becoming more effective and efficient held its inaugural event on 23rd April in Edinburgh. The free event of the new Housing Management and Efficiencies Learning Network was hosted by the Scottish Government and Chartered Institute of Housing Scotlan
27/04/2010
the International consultancy, design, engineering and management services company, ARCADIS UK, today announced it has gained a position as a provider to Scottish Water under its framework agreement for cost management services. The framework covers cost consultancy services over the next four year
27/04/2010
Fancy a night in the cells? Well now you can spend every night in the station as Shepherd Chartered Surveyors is offering a former police call point in the fishing village of St Monans in the North East Neuk of Fife for sale at offers over £29,000. The 30 sq m property, at 43 Station Road, currentl
26/04/2010
The company behind the proposed Fort William Waterfront development have withdrawn its plans. Fort William Waterfront Ltd say their decision is linked to the current global economic situation which dictates that this scheme is not capable of being funded in today’s market. The Highland Council ha
26/04/2010
Two blocks of flats at Red Road in Glasgow now look likely to be demolished next year in a double ‘blowdown’. Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) plans to bring down the two blocks on the site at the same time to minimise disruption to the local community. Proposals had been in place for 153-213 Pet
26/04/2010
A multi million pound project that will deliver an additional length of dual carriageway on the A9 at Crubenmore has taken a significant step forward with the publication of the tender notice. The issue of this notice is the first stage in the procurement process for this vital road improvement sch
26/04/2010
Cadzow Bing is to be removed with the material recovered used in large-scale national construction projects. The seven-hectare site in Hamilton was used to deposit spoil - including shale, blaes, coal and ash - from the former Cadzow Colliery from the late 1800s until 1944. For the last 65 years th
26/04/2010
A total of 5,763 homes in Raigmore and Hilton areas of Inverness and Fort William are to receive insulation through the Home Insulation Scheme There will be a boom in the number of homes in the Highlands to be offered free or discounted loft and cavity wall insulation as the Home Insulation Scheme
26/04/2010
Work has started on the restoration of a historical pinetum at Dean Castle Country Park. The pinetum, which was planted in the early part of the twentieth century, included a large collection of over 130 rare and unusual conifers from across the world. In order to reintroduce this beautiful featu
26/04/2010
Solar thermal systems offer the promise of free hot water from the sun, but 10 out of 14 installers exaggerated the potential savings in an undercover investigation by consumer champion Which? Everest and Ideal Solar Energy potentially broke the law, using dodgy sales tactics and hugely over-statin
26/04/2010
All demolition works on the Falkland Wall have been stopped. Fife Council served a Temporary Stop Notice with immediate effect on parties on Wednesday April 21 with regard to ongoing works on the historic wall at the Pleasance in Falkland. The effect of this Notice will be that no further works
26/04/2010
Archial Architects has won the British Council for Offices’ Scotland Commercial Workplace of the Year Award for 141 Bothwell Street, the Grade A 10 storey office development located in the heart of Glasgow's International Financial Services District. Designed by Archial’s Edinburgh office, 141 Both
26/04/2010
The Salvation Army's building at Sturrock Street in Kilmarnock was rededicated in an official ceremony recently to mark its re-opening after a refurbishment. Depute Provost John Campbell was invited along to see the cutting of both a cake and a ribbon along with various members of the community wit
23/04/2010
The developers behind Armadale Station Community Development, SDA Ltd, have released details of the latest phase of their development, focused on the proposed railway station at Armadale. New proposals are for 170 homes, a 60 bed care home and associated roads, footpaths, landscaping, play area and
23/04/2010
The Scottish Construction Centre is to support the re-establishment of the Tayside Construction Forum (TCF). Perth College is hosting the third in a series of membership development events involving senior members of the construction industry. The meeting, taking place at 4.30pm on Thursday 22 Ap
23/04/2010
Planning permission has been granted to demolish and rebuild the old Clydeview Residential Home on East Montrose Street, Helensburgh. The Home, formerly owned by CrossReach, the Social Care arm of the Church of Scotland, has fallen in to disrepair after CrossReach relocated its residents to more
23/04/2010
East Lothian Council has announced that its largest single development of affordable housing in the last 25 years is to be built in Tranent. A total of 100 new council homes will be developed at Muirpark Wynd, on the east side of the town. The 3.5hectare site was previously divided between two owne
23/04/2010
The remains of two Roman altar stones have been uncovered in an East Lothian park during the redevelopment of a Musselburgh cricket pavilion. As the Lewisvale Park pavilion lies partially within a Scheduled Ancient Monument (Roman and Iron Age Field Systems) permission to undertake excavations for
23/04/2010
Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has appointed David Paterson as a Chartered Building Surveyor based in its Dundee office. Fife born and bred Mr Paterson can boast an all round commercial building surveying background with experience working for Hardies and Capita in Glasgow, Pentarq in Thurso and, mos
23/04/2010
Acting on behalf of West Coast Estates, Knight Frank’s building consultancy team has completed the refurbishment and extension of retail units at Middleton Park in Bridge of Don, Aberdeen. The project, worth £220,000, involved the refurbishment of six retail units to enhance the facade, lighting, p
23/04/2010
Scottish politicians are among over 200 candidates standing for election in constituencies across the country who have backed a pledge to build more affordable homes. The National Housing Federation said a significant number of prospective parliamentary candidates (PPCs) standing for Labour, the Li
23/04/2010
Austrian crystal company Swarovski will lead a glittering trio of new retailers at Aberdeen's Bon Accord centre. The worldwide luxury brand retailer will be joined by fragrance specialist Jo Malone and womenswear retailer Hobbs who have all taken 10-year leases on a combined space of 6571 sq ft. T
23/04/2010
A man has been airlifted to hospital after receiving an electric shock while working on an offshore platform. The oil-worker and a colleague who witnessed the incident were flow to Lerwick Hospital from the Dunlin platform at around 5pm on Thursday. Power to the rig was cut off for a short time f
22/04/2010
The Scottish Building Federation has said that Scottish GDP figures for Scotland for the fourth quarter of 2009, published today, make "worrying reading" for the Scottish construction industry and has called on general election candidates from all parties to give greater attention to the needs of th
22/04/2010
Cadzow Bing is to be removed with the material recovered used in large-scale national construction projects. The seven-hectare site in Hamilton was used to deposit spoil - including shale, blaes, coal and ash - from the former Cadzow Colliery from the late 1800s until 1944. For the last 65 years th
22/04/2010
A structural survey has given hope of a positive future for the historic Paton's Mill building in Johnstone following a fire. The survey, ordered by Renfrewshire Council following the fire on 14 April, has shown that the 227-year-old mill building is not as badly damaged as expected. A visit by to
22/04/2010
Dumfries and Galloway Council's Building Standards service has been named as the best in Scotland. Building Standards has also recently achieved the UK Government's Cabinet Office customer service excellence standard. In a recent audit by the Building Standards Division of the Scottish Government
22/04/2010
Dundee City Council's housing department has met most targets in an action plan to improve services in the city. The council's housing, Dundee Contract Services and environment services committee will on Monday 26 April be discussing a progress report on an improvement plan agreed following an insp
22/04/2010
A sole trader who erects farms buildings has been fined £15,000 after his employee broke both his legs when he fell three metres from the roof of an Aberdeenshire farm building. Mr Robert Peter Mackie, 36, from the Turriff area, who was trading as RDM Engineering at the time of the incident was pro
22/04/2010
Scottish building workers are to join fellow construction personnel from the rest of the UK in a high-profile pre-Election protest. The builders are to be untited in 'constructive criticism' at Conservative headquarters at Millbank in opposition to Tory plans to privatise safety inspections. It wi
22/04/2010
There will be a boom in the number of Scottish homes offered free or discounted insulation this year. A further 90,000 homes will be offered loft and cavity wall insulation in 10 council areas across Scotland covering the islands, cities, rural towns and surrounding villages. This will almost doub
22/04/2010
A tough round of negotiations has seen the Building and Allied Trades Joint Industrial Council (BATJIC) concluding the 2010/11 round of pay negotiations -with an agreed 2% increase to the three headline rates of pay. It will be effective from Monday 13 September 2010. Commenting for the workers si
22/04/2010
The Scottish Government has today laid regulations which will build further on its world-leading Climate Change Act and its target of reducing carbon emissions by 42 per cent by 2020. Since setting the target, Scotland has won praise across the world for our climate change ambitions. The laying of
21/04/2010
A bid to add 'tax' to the cost of newly constructed homes has been slammed. Home building industry body, Homes for Scotland, whose membership provides 95% of all homes built for sale in Scotland as well as an increasingly significant proportion of affordable housing, today rejected Liberal Democrat
21/04/2010
Independent building services company James Frew has signed a three year partnership agreement with Trafalgar Housing Association in Clydebank to provide gas servicing and maintenance services for its tenants. The partnership, which includes the option to extend the contract for a further five year
21/04/2010
Plans to clear the site of the old Hermitage Academy, Helensburgh, are on track to be completed at no cost to the council. That’s the news from Argyll and Bute Council, current owners of the site, and John Dickie Homes, who are carrying out the demolition of the school before taking ownership of th
21/04/2010
Arbroath firm AD Contracting (Scotland) Ltd have been given the go-ahead for the creation of a health and wellbeing centre at Jubilee Court sheltered housing complex, Letham. The work is to refurbish and adapt the existing two-storey warden’s house and build a single storey extension. This will pro
21/04/2010
An extra £2.5million is to be invested in Aberdeen's roads this year as a result of significant savings being made in the renovation of Marischal College. Members of the city council's Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure Committee unanimously backed convener Councillor Kate Dean's motion to div
21/04/2010
East Renfrewshire Council and Link have joined forces to deliver 41 new affordable apartments for rent in the John Street/Henry Street areas of Barrhead. Link's Director of Housing Maureen Middleton said: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Council in an initiative that will see
21/04/2010
Farmers and forestry representatives have agreed to forge a new partnership to ensure all sectors benefit from plans to increase Scotland's forest cover to 25 per cent. During round table discussions called by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Richard Lochhead all attendees agreed to forge a col
21/04/2010
Ayrshire estate agents Donald Ross have taken full advantage of the recent revival in the housing market, and enjoyed a very successful first few months of 2010. Managing director Steven Miller commented: "At Donald Ross we have had our busiest start to the year since 2007, the first quarter looks
21/04/2010
Socomec UPS and Socomec Switching and Protection will be exhibiting at the HC exhibition at Birmingham’s ICC, Hall 3 - Stand 82, 27-29 April 2010. See the highly efficient, TÜV SÜD approved 96% efficient and reduced footprint, Masterys Green Power 120kVA, along with its smaller version, the Mastery
21/04/2010
Ministers have welcomed cross sector support to end the system which results in Scottish electricity generators paying the highest grid charges in the UK. ScottishPower, Scottish and Southern Energy, Scottish Renewables, CBI Scotland, Scottish Chambers of Commerce, Scottish Trades Union Congress an
20/04/2010
Four hydro schemes near Loch Lomond that can supply enough electricity for 4,100 homes have been approved by the Scottish Government. The schemes, all on the Glen Falloch Estate near Crianlarich, will create up to 50 jobs in construction and will result in investment back into the Estate. Energy
20/04/2010
Two blocks of hard to let flats in Hillview, Brechin are to be emptied and the remaining tenants rehoused elsewhere, as part of an ongoing regeneration of the area. Plans will be drawn up for a different use of the properties, or for their demolition and re-use of the cleared site if that option is
20/04/2010
The historic Hippodrome Cinema in Bo'ness has been honoured in a top awards ceremony. Scotland's first purpose-built picture palace - re-opened a year ago this month after a £2.1 million revamp - was commended in the Scottish Civic Trust My Place Awards. The announcement was made at a ceremony in
20/04/2010
EnerMech Ltd has secured two contracts to provide safety training and assessment services. The Aberdeen mechanical services company is carving out a reputation for providing high quality Trainer/Assessors and Safety Coaches and its personnel are in demand across the world. Three EnerMech traine
20/04/2010
A project to improve safety and amenity at the Forth Road Bridge car park got under way this week. Contractor Raynesway are constructing improved fencing, lighting, landscaping, footpaths and a new disabled access ramp. As well as serving the bridge administration office, the car park is a popular
20/04/2010
The Scottish Government has unveiled a £2m boiler scrappage scheme. Up to 5,000 households in Scotland will receive £400 towards the cost of a new boiler, under the new boiler scrappage scheme. Households with poor performing boilers which convert less than 70 per cent of fuel into heat, will qu
20/04/2010
Space Solutions, a workplace solutions company, has appointed two senior managers to drive forward its specialist relocations and operations division. The appointments of Derek Bateman and Ben Slater at The Hub in Livingston, West Lothian - which employs 36 people across all areas and manages minor
20/04/2010
A group of Renfrewshire primary schools have been producing their very own talented team of environmental champions with the help of Reid Kerr College in Paisley. Primary 7 Pupils from six schools around Renfrewshire have been taking part in the launch of a Renewable Energy project, delivered by st
20/04/2010
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has released new guidance for architects and planners on designing for counter terrorism, ensuring they are better equipped to think about designing-in security features from the outset. The guide, co-authored by TPS - part of Carillion plc - is par
20/04/2010
Morgan Ashurst is putting its weight behind an initiative designed to reignite young people’s passion for playing rugby in Scotland. The company, headquartered in Scotland at Glasgow Airport Business Park, has sponsored the Lanarkshire Schools Cup – a new tournament for North Lanarkshire and South
19/04/2010
Gross mortgage lending was an estimated £11.5 billion in March, a 24% rise from £9.3 billion in February and a 3% rise from £11.2 billion in March 2009, according to data published today by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The figures are in line with the typical seasonal pattern of a rise i
19/04/2010
The vast majority of nearby residents support plans for the capital's first 'supermarket on stilts', consultation feedback suggests. Developer Morbaine Ltd showcased plans for an 80,000 sq ft store on the former B&Q site on Inglis Green Road, Longstone, on Wednesday and Thursday last week. The pro
19/04/2010
It might seem a long way from the Sydney Opera House to the seafront at Ardrossan, but 15-year old Scott Mitchell doesn’t see it that way. Scott is the winner of a competition to design a temporary beach hut to be sited on Ardrossan south beach this summer. Organised by Irvine Bay Regeneration Com
19/04/2010
One of Britain's leading economists is coming to Inverness to provide an insight into the economic challenges beyond the recession. Professor David Bell is guest speaker at the second high profile business seminar hosted by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) at the Centre for Health Science (Io
19/04/2010
Irvine's iconic new bridge has opened to traffic and pedestrians. The striking £3.5 million structure replaces the old Bailey-style bridge across the River Irvine and is expected to carry around 16,000 vehicles a day. Linking Milgarholm and Merryvale roundabouts at one of the main arterial routes
19/04/2010
Over £9m was invested in housing improvements in Angus last year, the council has revealed. The members of the council's Neighbourhood Services Committee were advised that a number of heating projects for the Arbroath and Carnoustie areas have been brought forward into the current financial year.
19/04/2010
Plans to create a new £44 million joint campus for St Ambrose High School and Drumpark School have been approved. The new school campus and community centre will include a full range of modern facilities for both the community and for pupils, particularly in sport and music. The extensive upgrade i
19/04/2010
A new scheme to help homeowners and private landlords to repair, maintain and improve their properties has been launched in East Lothian. The Scheme of Assistance is a major part of new housing legislation that aims to improve the condition of properties in the private sector. It recognises that im
19/04/2010
A £6m project funded by Dundee City Council and Scottish Enterprise to remove and replace part of the off ramps at the Tay Road Bridge gets underway at the beginning of next month. Farrans (Construction) Ltd will undertake the work which is expected to last until autumn next year as part of the mul
19/04/2010
Aberdeen's two newest primary schools opened on 14 April, 2010, marking another milestone in the £120m 3Rs Project. The opening of Braehead and Mile End brings the total up to seven new city schools in less than a year. Balgownie and Upper Westfield Primary schools came together to become the new
16/04/2010
One of the largest architecture practices in Scotland and the UK, Archial Architects, has completed the £2.5 million fit-out for Shell Shared Services at 141 Bothwell Street, Glasgow on time and within budget. The four month project culminated in over 600 staff moving into 60,000 sq ft of cellular
16/04/2010
The proposal to build a new ambulance station at Helensburgh's Victoria Infirmary has been approved. The Argyll and Bute Local Review Body’s (LRB) decision to agree the Scottish Ambulance Service's application follows both a site visit and a local hearing. The new station will be located adjacent
16/04/2010
David Climie has been appointed as project director for the Forth Replacement Crossing project. Mr Climie, 48, brings over 25 years experience and has extensive expertise in leading major bridge-building projects throughout the world and, having been brought up and educated in Scotland, is returni
16/04/2010
The beleaguered building industry needs help to create the homes that are urgently needed. The General Election manifestos of the three main parties do not go far enough to address the issue, said the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Richard Diment, Director General of the FMB said: "The polic
16/04/2010
An Edinburgh property solicitor has topped the ESPC rankings for an unprecedented 11th consecutive year. Warners Solicitors and Estate Agents, which has held the number one ranking in the Edinburgh Solicitors Property Centre (ESPC) every year since 1998 despite fierce competition from rivals, revea
16/04/2010
With campaigning for the General Election now well underway, Scottish home building industry leaders today expressed their concern that none of the political parties has set out plans for systematically correcting the fundamental constraint on housing market recovery – the overall availability and t
16/04/2010
The University of Aberdeen has become one of the first higher education institutes in the country to implement LEAN thinking as one of a package of measures being taken to ensure its library, especially its new £57million library building, is as efficient and green as possible. Led by a LEAN Kaize
16/04/2010
More than one million lorry miles will be removed from Scotland's roads following Scottish Government funding to reduce emissions. A total of £3.2m pounds of Freight Facilities Grant has been allocated to Montrose Port Authority to construct a new deep water berth which will enable additional shipp
16/04/2010
E.ON has today announced that its Robin Rigg offshore wind farm, located between Dumfries and Galloway and Cumbria, is up and running. The scheme had suffered a number of delays during construction. The final turbines have completed testing in the Solway Firth and are now capable of producing eno
16/04/2010
Hydraulics engineering firm Norson Power has been acquired by mechanical services company EnerMech Ltd in an £11 million deal. Founded in 1974 in Aberdeen, Norson Power provides hydraulic pipework installation and designs and manufactures hydraulic equipment for the oil, gas and marine industries.
15/04/2010
Although Scottish ministers will have the final say, a planning report has recommended approval for a controversial proposal to build a new secondary school near a former landfill site in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire. Councillors are voting on the plans for the £44m joint campus for St Ambrose Hig
15/04/2010
An iconic Glasgow hotel refurbishment is about to be completed. As well as having the architectural heritage fully restored, as many as 150 new full and part-time jobs are also to be created, as the building contract comes to an end at the Grand Central Hotel, above Central Station. The project is
15/04/2010
Funding of £76 million is to be invested in colleges, affordable housing, transport and renewable energy infrastructure projects in Scotland. Speaking during a debate on the Scottish Government's Economic Recovery Plan, Finance Secretary John Swinney said the money would be used to support employme
15/04/2010
One of Bannockburn's historic buildings is being brought back in to use following the green light from Stirling Council's Planning Panel. The Panel has granted planning permission to Stirling Council’s Housing Service to transform the former Women's Refuge building at 4 The Path, Bannockburn into f
15/04/2010
The proposal to build a new ambulance station at Helensburgh's Victoria Infirmary has been approved. The Argyll and Bute Local Review Body’s (LRB) decision to agree the Scottish Ambulance Service's application follows both a site visit and a local hearing. The new station will be located adjacent
15/04/2010
Aberdeen's two newest primary schools opened this week marking another milestone in the £120 million 3Rs (Reorganise, Renovate and Rebuild) Project. The opening of Braehead and Mile End brings the total up to seven new city schools in less than a year. Balgownie and Upper Westfield Primary schools
15/04/2010
Britain's tallest mobile ultra-high reach machine will arrive in Glasgow ahead of the demolition of flats in Broomloan Court. The demolition machine, which stands 65 metres tall (213 feet) and weighs more than 200 tonnes, is being transported by three low-loaders from Birmingham to the Glasgow Hous
15/04/2010
Helix Energy Solutions Group has been awarded a 'Front End Engineering and Design' (FEED) contract by Norwegian producer Statoil to assist in the development of its forthcoming Category B semi-submersible well intervention vessel. The vessel will be designed for year round well intervention operat
14/04/2010
Scotland is well placed to take advantage of a rising housebuilding market. Across the UK, the market will increase overall by 154,000 homes in 2010, according to a new report from MTW Research. The rate of growth this year will vary across the UK, according to MTW. Housebuilding activity in Eng
14/04/2010
Inspire Scholar and civil engineering student Christopher Matthews this week collected a top national prize, worth £1,500 from ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry. The Cambridge undergraduate beat off stiff competition to be crowned winner of this year’s In
14/04/2010
Researchers from the Universities of Dundee and Bath are working with collaborators in India to develop environmentally friendly cement using waste materials such as rice husks. The researchers have been working as part of a UK-India Education & Research Initiative (UKIERI) project, led by the Univ
14/04/2010
The number of loans advanced for house purchase increased by 12% in February, according to figures released today by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). January was extremely weak due to one-off factors such as the effect of the end of the stamp-duty exemption in December 2009 and the severe win
14/04/2010
Fife Fire & Rescue Service's new Community Fire Station at Pitreavie in Dunfermline has been be officially opened. The building was completed on time and within budget (£4.2m) and provides a state of the art fire station to replace the existing stations at Dunfermline and Rosyth. The new station
14/04/2010
Ryden and Jones Lang LaSalle have secured two tenants at Westport 102, their client's 95,000 sq ft Grade A office development in the heart of Edinburgh's central business district. Lettings have been secured with supermarket chain Sainsbury’s and leading independent merchant bank Quayle Munro. Sai
14/04/2010
A wild badger, a Mexican desert king snake and a goldfish are among a veritable Noah's Ark of 20 weird and wonderful animals and items that have been found in Scottish Water sewer network. False teeth are also one of the most frequently found items – and in a sign of the times, mobile phones accide
14/04/2010
Riverside Inverclyde (ri) has confirmed that 2020 Renewables has opened its new offices in Clyde View, east of Greenock. 2020 Renewables is a new organisation with experienced personnel who have a proven track record in developing, constructing and operating wind farms since 1990. Commenting on th
14/04/2010
Campbeltown residents, businesses and visitors are being urged to take part in a new survey on the town and its future. The initiative is being undertaken as part of the Council’s £30m CHORD programme to regenerate the waterfronts of five key towns – Campbeltown, Helensburgh, Oban, Rothesay and Dun
14/04/2010
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is sponsoring an event in Glasgow which will bring together businesses and researchers who are developing the next generation of technological innovations. Local technology businesses are being invited to take part in the showcase at the SECC on May 26. It off
13/04/2010
A £500,000 programme to modernise and upgrade Erskine Swimming Pool has launched Renfrewshire Council's £92 million investment programme Building Better Communities. Refurbishment work is already underway at Erskine Pool and set to be completed by June. Among the improvements are a new changing vi
13/04/2010
One of the largest consultation exercises for many years on the future of land use across four local authorities is underway. Opinions and comments on the TAYplan main issues report are being sought out for the next 12 weeks as the body tries to develop a blueprint for where any new development sho
13/04/2010
Following publication of the findings from the public consultation into the City Square project, ACSEF believes there is support for major transformation in Aberdeen city centre – making it safer and greener, with a contemporary arts or cultural hub at its heart. The public private sector partnersh
13/04/2010
The Highland Council is spending £130,000 on the replacement of the deck of Craggie Bridge. The bridge is situated on the C 1056 Craggie – Daviot Station – Dalroy – Galcantray – Budgate road near Inverness. The replacement is required because of corrosion in the existing steel lattice deck, which
13/04/2010
A £60 million plan to create a stunning waterfront for Irvine has been approved by North Ayrshire Council. Irvine Bay Regeneration Company and innovative developers Urban Splash have received planning permission for the multi-million pound plans to regenerate the 12 acre site at Irvine Harbour and
13/04/2010
The centre of Cumnock in Ayrshire is all set for a major revamp with the first stage of regeneration works about to get underway. The final land acquisition has been completed clearing the way for a start to be made on a state of the art office building for occupation by East Ayrshire Council and i
13/04/2010
In a joint endeavour to help meet the UK’s ambitious renewables commitment, Glasgow based measurement and testing specialist, TUV NEL, and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), announced a major new initiative that will assist the growth of the UK’s wind energy industry. As the UK, pa
13/04/2010
Clyde Gateway, Scotland's biggest urban regeneration company, has launched its first landmark development – one that will bring up to 1,500 jobs to Glasgow's East End. The £35m business park, to be named Clyde Gateway East, is aimed at attracting both light industrial and office-based companies to
13/04/2010
Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has sold a 0.5 acre site at Westway Retail Park in Arbroath to KFC. Westway Retail Park is located in a prominent position to the west of Arbroath town centre with a frontage to the main thoroughfare which provides access to and from the town. This links directly to the
13/04/2010
Building work on a £2.6m overtaking lane scheme at Moy on the A9 has begun in earnest. Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson performed a ground breaking ceremony on site today, marking the start of the 12 week construction programme. Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said: "I'm delighted to see
12/04/2010
A major investment for a key route to port has taken a step forward with the publication of draft orders for the £5 million A77 Drummuckloch to Innermessan scheme. The upgrade will improve traffic flow on the A77 south of Port Loch Ryan, one of the south west’s key routes providing connections from
12/04/2010
A new certification mark to recognise high standards throughout the construction industry has been launched by the Scottish Government. The Approved Certifier Registration Mark will be used by building professionals and tradespeople across Scotland as a sign of their competence, experience and comp
12/04/2010
A £6m deal to help a leading energy industry manufacturer expand its output and secure up to 400 jobs was unveiled by the Scottish Government today. Energy Minister Jim Mather announced that BiFab has been offered £2m of Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) plus a four million pounds commercial loan
12/04/2010
People in Kirriemuir now have the opportunity to view the layout plan of the first phase of the improvement works at Kirriemuir Hill. Drawings are now on display in the town's library and Access office. The major project celebrates 150 years since the birth of playwright JM Barrie and the developme
12/04/2010
The former site of Stirling Auction Mart at Kildean East is set to become the home of Forth Valley College's Stirling Campus following a landmark deal between Elphinstone and the college. Elphinstone acquired the 30 acre Kildean site as part of the United Auctions take over in 2005. Further to con
12/04/2010
A new company, specialising in the manufacturing of marine diesel engine coolant pumps for use in a range of industries, has been created in the North-east following a successful management buy-out. LFH Engineering Ltd has been formed as a result of the deal agreed by local businessman, Les Hill, t
12/04/2010
The Scottish Building Federation (SBF) has today put its weight behind mounting calls for Scottish Water to be restructured in a way that would allow it to raise funding via the open markets. SBF Chief Executive Michael Levack argues that any money saved from restructuring the utility should be plo
12/04/2010
CWC based in Larkhall have recently launched a brand new range of Upvc Interior Doors to the UK marketplace, this new range of UPVC Internal Doors are suitable for use as an " Internal door " throughout any room or application in any home or office . Manufactured from the highest quality thermo pl
09/04/2010
Demonstrating the determination of home builders to overcome the difficulties of the last two years, industry body Homes for Scotland has received over 50 entries for its 2010 Quality Awards. Chief Executive Jonathan Fair said: "With Scotland facing its biggest housing crisis since the Second World
09/04/2010
Whitbread PLC, the UK's largest hotel and restaurant group, has announced its latest Premier Inn site acquisition. It will see a new 210-bedroom hotel built on West Nile Street (just off Sauchiehall Street) in Glasgow. The deal with ING will see the vacant former office block converted into high-q
09/04/2010
Planning Aid for Scotland (PAS) has released a series of figures showing the growth in demand for its planning advice and information services across Scotland. A total of 93 people contacted the advice service in 2008/09. For 2009/10 there were 666. This represents a 12% increase. They have receive
09/04/2010
Ronson Slater (20), a third year apprentice joiner with City Building (Glasgow) LLP, has won the Trades House of Glasgow Modern Apprentice of the Year Award 2010. He beat stiff competition from five fellow finalists including City Building colleague Shaun Lafferty, an apprentice electrician who w
09/04/2010
Aberdeen City Council is presenting the former Summerhill Academy campus to the market. The 3.25 hectare site, which has been declared surplus to the council's requirements, is being marketed as a prime development site which offers an excellent redevelopment opportunity. The council has appointed
09/04/2010
Transport Scotland - supported by Halcrow - has won the "Quality and efficiency of rendered services" award at the recent "Road to Excellence" challenge hosted by the Swedish Roads Administration in Stockholm. The challenge looked at the issues facing Roads Administrations in eight countries – Denm
09/04/2010
Stirling Council has launched its consultation on the development of its Local Housing Strategy (LHS) for the next five years (2010 to 2015). Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, every local authority is required to prepare a Local Housing Strategy. The most recent LHS for the Stirling area was f
09/04/2010
Renfrewshire Council has appointed the Apollo Group to carry out a share of their £149million investment programme, which is set to bring 13,000 homes up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) within the next five years. Apollo is one of four companies awarded work from Renfrewshire follow
09/04/2010
If you go down to Howard Park today you are guaranteed a nice surprise. The East Ayrshire Council has been working hard to improve the park and plenty of youngsters are enjoying the results. Councillor Jim Buchanan, who viewed the improvements with Leader of the Council, Councillor Douglas Reid, sa
09/04/2010
Plans for a new residential development in Mugiemoss have been recommended for approval. The development, of 53 flats and 38 town houses, is planned for the former Grampian Country Foods site off Mugiemoss Road. Head of planning and sustainable development Dr Margaret Bochel states in the report a
08/04/2010
Midlothian Council has approved a report on Dalkeith Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) and Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) project. This £2.5million project aims to regenerate Dalkeith Town Centre and includes the opportunity for building owners and tenants to enter a grant scheme f
08/04/2010
Clyde Valley Housing Association Limited was fined £70,000 after a security guard died from carbon monoxide poisoning on a construction site in Burbank, Hamilton. Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that on 6 February 2008, the security guard was overcome with fumes from a petrol generator used inside the
08/04/2010
Work began this month on the development of the first council homes in 13 years in the Buchan area following a successful bid by Aberdeenshire Council for Scottish Government funding last year. Councillor Gurudeo Saluja with residents Alexander Milne and Gordon Skene and George Parson, Managing Di
08/04/2010
The North's world-renowned building stone is demonstrating its versatility by featuring in a £57 million Scottish project to create a flagship library for the University of Aberdeen. Caithness Stone Industries has secured a multi-million pound contract to provide both building and specialist finish
08/04/2010
Bosses from CrossReach the Social Care Council of the Church of Scotland met with residents, relatives and staff last night to discuss a proposed scheme to refurbish one of its care homes after planning permission for a new building was refused by Aberdeenshire Council. Following the refusal of a p
08/04/2010
Falkirk Council has responded to local concerns about progress with the Denny Town Centre improvement project. More than 150 local residents attended a public meeting last week to share their views with Councillors, developer Henry Boot and Council officials. Councillor Adrian Mahoney, Convener o
08/04/2010
House prices increased by 1.1% in March according to the latest figures published by the Halifax. Across Scotland, N Ireland, Wales and England, this represented the eighth rise in the past nine months, taking the average price to 9.1% above the low point in April 2009. Martin Ellis, Housing Econo
08/04/2010
A regeneration project by North Ayrshire Council's Economic Development service is helping breathe new life into the town of Dalry. A range of works to buildings, car parks, open spaces and focal points, including the Biggart Fountain, are helping improve the appearance of the town centre. Over th
08/04/2010
A proposed new supermarket in Longstone, Edinburgh, will go under the spotlight at a public exhibition next week. Developer Morbaine Ltd is showcasing its plans for an 80,000 sq ft store on the former B&Q site on Inglis Green Road and wants as many people as possible to give their views. The event
08/04/2010
David Halliday and Michael McGrory are hoping their simple but safe Sunbreeze System will stop children loosing there fingers and soon be taking the market by storm. Brainchild of entrepreneur David Halliday, the Sunbreeze System is designed specifically to prevent French patio doors slamming shut
07/04/2010
Jamie Pert, joint Managing Director of Montrose-based building firm Pert-Bruce Construction Ltd, has been elected the new President of the Scottish Building Federation (SBF), the leading trade body for construction in Scotland. Jamie assumes his position at the helm of the Federation’s Management C
07/04/2010
Land remediation and site investigation company, the Sirius Group, has announced the completion of a major contract in the North-east. The company, which established its first permanent Scottish office in Aberdeen at the end of last year, has successfully concluded a long-term land remediation proj
07/04/2010
A Major consultation that will help shape the future of land use in four local authority areas gets underway later this month. Feedback from the public, politicians, planners, academics, business, young people and communities will be gathered on the TAYplan main issues report. The strategy, which
07/04/2010
One of Oban's busiest thoroughfares is to be resurfaced next month. The work – to be done in two consecutive phases between April 12 and May 2 – will be carried out on Albany Street and the junction of Alma Crescent and Shore Street. Phase 1 will cover Albany Street from the Library to Alma Cresce
07/04/2010
Nearly one in three (30%) building companies are expecting their workloads to fall this year and more than half (56%) have seen a reduction in the amount of private sector housing work in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest state of trade survey from the Federation of Master Buil
07/04/2010
Pimlico Plumbers is the latest business to join Rok's VAT campaign. The UK's largest and best-known independent plumbing company has put its weight behind Repairing Britain, which among other things, is calling on the government to lower VAT on property repairs and maintenance to help secure employ
07/04/2010
New Scottish homes are set to be greener, quieter and safer under new rules confirmed today. From October this year, new build homes must be more energy efficient, have greater sound insulation and better levels of home security. The revised building standards will reduce emissions, create new j
07/04/2010
Plans to breathe new life into Aberdeen's historic Duthie Park will be publicly unveiled next week. Detailed proposals will go on show at a special open day in the Winter Gardens on Wednesday 14 April, 2–7pm, where people will be able to ask questions about the £5.38million scheme and make suggesti
07/04/2010
A vision document for Scotland's seas has been published by the Scottish Government. Commenting on 'Making the Most of Scotland's Seas', Fisheries and Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "It's a year to the day since Marine Scotland took on direct responsibility for marine science, plannin
07/04/2010
A new chapter in the history of the Isle of Rum begins today as the community takes ownership of land, housing and other assets in Kinloch village. The move comes after the agreed transfer of ownership of a significant area of land and property from Scottish Natural Heritage to the Isle of Rum Comm
01/04/2010
A multi-million pound Joint Venture that will further transform the marina and its environs at Ardrossan has been agreed between Peel Holdings and Irvine Bay Regeneration Company. The past year has seen detailed negotiations to create the Joint Venture between the regeneration company and Peel to r
01/04/2010
Councillor Sandy Park, Convener of The Highland Council and Chairman of the Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Programme Advisory Board, has welcomed The Crown Estate announcement that it is inviting expressions of interest for a tidal energy project in the Inner Sound, which lies between C
01/04/2010
Young Port Glasgow footballers have netted some valuable support from Glasgow-based Lovell. Lovell, which is currently building 195 homes at three sites in Port Glasgow for River Clyde Homes, has presented the Port Glasgow Juniors Boys’ Club under-11s team with 20 tracksuits for the young players,
01/04/2010
Falkirk Council has substantially reduced the cost of bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless people since 2008. By adding an extra 105 homes from the housing stock to the list of temporary accommodation for homeless people, the weekly cost of B&B accommodation has dropped by almost two-third
01/04/2010
The innovative regeneration and community involvement plans for Neilston have helped scoop the town a national award. For the Neilston Renaissance Town Charter project won the 'community involvement' award at the 2010 Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning. The Neilston town charter is the first
01/04/2010
Lucie Smith from Hurlford Primary was the proud winner of Leisure Development's EA Positive Play 'Big Play Experiment' competition which was held during national School Grounds Week. Forty four primary schools were involved in the ‘Big Play Experiment’ and took part in activities which promoted gre
01/04/2010
People looking for rented accommodation in Dundee have been warned about a new fraudulent scheme uncovered by the Scottish Scambusters team. Flats for rent are advertised online, often targeted at overseas students, which rarely provide an address for the property and limited contact details for th
01/04/2010
Aberdeen planner Sandy Beattie has been appointed as a member of the board of Architecture and Design Scotland. Sandy, masterplanning and design team leader in the city council's planning section, is one of nine members appointed to the board by Minister for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslo
01/04/2010
Fledgling companies are to be "hot-housed" in a former Irvine factory to help them grow and create jobs and opportunities. The ambitious ASPIRE project is being funded by Irvine Bay Regeneration Company in the former NACCO building. Up to 22 offices will be created, along with a reception area, co
01/04/2010
Plans to convert long lease properties into ownership are being put out to consultation, Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing announced yesterday. The proposed changes, which would be introduced through a Long Leases (Scotland) Bill, could affect 9,000 long leases in certain parts of the country.
