Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Scotland Construction News Archive for August 2010
31/08/2010
An Aberdeen company is to receive the Queen's Award for Enterprise in recognition of its international trade efforts. Lord Provost of Aberdeen Peter Stephen will present the award to Hallin Marine UK Ltd next week, in his role as Lord Lieutenant. Hallin Marine UK began operating in 2006, supplying
31/08/2010
New plans to redevelop the town centre in Nairn will be presented to the local community soon. The blueprint from The Highland Council will take account of the Co-operative Group’s decision to abandon plans to expand their town centre supermarket on the King Street site. Instead the focus will be
31/08/2010
Moves to create a clearer framework for planning agreements could see councils receiving less benefit from local developments, warns Martin Drummond, planning consultant at Tods Murray LLP, leaving many local authorities hit by a double whammy of budget cuts and diminished planning gain. But, he sa
31/08/2010
East Lothian Council is to take part in a new national initiative to increase the supply of homes available for mid-market rent. At a meeting councillors agreed to participate in a new initiative from the Scottish Futures Trust and Scottish Government. Under the National Housing Trust initiative
31/08/2010
East Lothian Council has approved an additional £2 million for repairs and renewals of primary schools and community facilities over the next four years. This funding will be released from the 'civic emergency earmarked reserve' and the Capital Fund. Works will include roof work, window replacem
31/08/2010
Multi-award winning Ayr-based ARPL Architects Ltd have announced the completed refurbishment of artists’ studios on Irvine harbourside for WASPS Artists’ Studios, a charity providing affordable studios to rent around Scotland. The original courtyard development of 13 studios for artists of various
27/08/2010
Forfar-based FMS Construction has recently started work on two contacts, jointly worth £5.5 million. One project is in Dundee, the other in Pitlochry. The Dundee development, worth £3.5 million, is for 37 flats and 13 houses at Bellfield, opposite the Whitehall Theatre. Although work has barely st
27/08/2010
Aberdeen's Housing and Environment Committee has considered a progress report on the proposed development of Victoria House into a Housing Access Centre. The centre would offer advice, support and temporary accommodation to homeless households at one location making the service more accessible. At
27/08/2010
The Scottish Government is helping deliver more low cost homes than at any time since the early 1980's, official figures confirmed today. Between July 2009 and June 2010 there were 5,337 housing association and council flats and houses completed across Scotland, the second highest figure since 1982
27/08/2010
Shelter Scotland has hailed the 29% reduction in evictions by Scottish councils as a major improvement and evidence its campaigning efforts have paid off, but warned action is needed to prevent a second wave of evictions The latest figures from the Scottish Government reveal evictions dropped from
27/08/2010
Miles Templeman, Director General of the Institute of Directors (IoD), is to visit Aberdeen on Thursday (September 2) to hear what the offshore energy industry in Aberdeen requires to sustain the oil and gas industry and maximise the potential of emerging marine renewables. Starting his visit to Ab
27/08/2010
First Minister Alex Salmond today came face to face with 3D replicas of Presidents Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson and Roosevelt as he viewed the latest images from the Scottish team that are recording Mount Rushmore with digital technology. The First Minister visited the Digital Design Studio at Gl
26/08/2010
Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) has unveiled a number of development initiatives in its commitment to providing affordable housing in Leith and throughout Edinburgh’s waterfront. The Association has recently made a number of acquisitions at a cost of £2.95m and will spend £22.5m in the ne
26/08/2010
Construction work on the first new council homes for a generation in the Capital is set to begin following the appointment of a developer. Edinburgh-based firm the Cruden Group will now begin building 215 homes on the site of the three former high rises in Gracemount. At least half of the developm
26/08/2010
Completing an apprenticeship can be better preparation for the world of work than gaining a university qualification, according to research carried out by leading building company Rok. A survey of Rok's 132 apprentices in Scotland revealed 94% believe their decision to gain experience in the build
26/08/2010
With a larger rise in the number of loans for house purchase advanced in Scotland during the second quarter of 2010 than that seen in the UK as a whole, including an 18% increase in volume to First Time Buyers, new statistics published today by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) were described as
26/08/2010
A new pilot project, which will see teams of low level offenders on community service being sent out to fix fallen cemetery headstones, was launched in Edinburgh today. Under the initiative, gravestones will be repaired and fallen headstones will be returned to their original upright positions in a
26/08/2010
Eco Insulate Ltd are proud to have been accepted as a corporate member of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations. They expect membership to provide a better understanding of SFHA member’s needs and hope to build on existing relationships by providing clear specification and installation
25/08/2010
Scotland’s offshore wind industry could create 28,000 jobs by 2020, contributing £7.1billion of investment to the economy, according to a report commissioned by Scottish Renewables and Scottish Enterprise. The first comprehensive study of the potential impact of offshore wind on the Scottish econom
25/08/2010
The Risk Factory has received a boost from the Gas Safety Trust as they pledge to sponsor the community safety education centre for the next three years. The Gas Safety Trust presented £2,000 to The Risk Factory yesterday. This contribution shows just how valuable they feel the messages delivered b
25/08/2010
One of Scotland’s leading lettings portal has cemented its credentials after being confirmed as the UK’s most popular dedicated residential lettings website in July. According to Experian Hitwise, the online competitive intelligence company, in a custom category of residential lettings websites mor
25/08/2010
Residents in the Marr area of Aberdeenshire are being encouraged to take advantage of a Scottish Government initiative that could see their loft insulation topped-up for free. Around 16,500 Marr households could benefit under the Home Insulation Scheme, which aims to reach a total 90,000 households
25/08/2010
Two UK construction companies have today been fined a total of £125,000 after a worker was seriously injured when he fell 21 metres from a hospital building under construction in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Laing O'Rourke Construction Limited and Expanded Structures Limited were prosecuted by the Health a
25/08/2010
Town planning took place at Whithorn as early as the 14th century, reveals the latest publication in the Scottish Burgh Survey Series. “Historic Whithorn: Archaeology and Development”, published by Historic Scotland and the Council for British Archaeology, looks at the rich history and archaeology
24/08/2010
Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop has visited Rothesay to hear about a planned new partnership between Historic Scotland and Argyll and Bute Council to look at new ways to capitalise on the island’s heritage to revitalise the community. The heritage agency and local authority are looking at how the are
24/08/2010
IKM Consulting is supporting the development of a new £6M state of the art materials recycling facility in Glasgow. The new Shanks' facility which is set to open soon will complement its existing plant in Blochairn and is part of the company's plan to increase the amount of material recycled and re
24/08/2010
Work has started on a new play area in Kirriemuir which will take its inspiration from the magical tale of JM Barrie’s Peter Pan. As the little red town celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of its most famous son, the play park at Kirrie Hill will create a fitting project to mark the event
24/08/2010
Letham youth group The Basement has asked Angus Council to lease it a piece of land in Dempster Park, to site a portacabin to use as a youth centre. The Basement is a registered charity which was established around four years ago to provide a facility for young people to take part in activities whi
24/08/2010
Property developers are beginning to get back into the market, but land purchase contracts are taking a dramatically different form says law firm, Tods Murray LLP. As a consequence, the commercial risk is now more likely to be shared between the landowner and the developer, with the banks remaining
24/08/2010
The A. Proctor Group have announced the launch of its new range of gas resistant membranes. Mike Sweeney of the A. Proctor Group commented: "The membranes have been specifically developed to simplify the process when choosing the correct gas membrane for your site." Historically, the type of gas me
23/08/2010
East Lothian Council is spending an extra £3 million on the county's roads and drainage systems this financial year, due to the severe deterioration of road surfaces after the most severe winter for 50 years. To carry out the necessary reconstruction and repairs, the Council has also spent £300k on
23/08/2010
A leading North east firm has been awarded a £250,000 contract to supply Kärcher spares to a major oil company in Azerbaijan. Aberdeen Pressure Washer Centre – a division of Turriff AgriParts (TAP) Ltd – took part in an international tender process to win the one-year deal which has an option to ro
23/08/2010
Dundee City Council's housing stock should meet a national quality standard in five years' time, according to a report to go before councillors next week. The council's housing, Dundee Contract Services and environment services committee will today discuss a review of efforts to meet the Scottish H
23/08/2010
A new £4.5 million extension to the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Sport and Exercise has been unveiled. The three-storey development was launched in the company of HRH The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, the Chancellor of the University. The extension provides around 1900 square metres of
23/08/2010
As part of the £1.4m worth of investment the council secured for Barrhead from the Government’s town centre regeneration fund, Main Street is set for some redevelopment. A new ‘straight-through’ pedestrian crossing will replace the existing staggered crossing right at the heart of the main shopping
23/08/2010
A landmark step in the reconstruction of one of the UK's most iconic buildings has been taken with a topping out ceremony at Marischal College. The ceremony will took place on level four of the west wing, the highest point in the 100-year-old A-listed building, which is being transformed into Aberd
20/08/2010
A new market square is the centre piece of a £250,000 revamp to Balerno after a major cash injection from the City of Edinburgh Council. The square forms part of the improvements carried out to Main Street under the Council’s Urban Centres Programme (UCP) which aims to improve local shopping centre
20/08/2010
Renfrewshire Council has launched a £138million five-year programme which will improve thousands of council tenants’ homes and give an economic and employment boost to the area. The Delivering Housing Improvements programme will install up to 8,000 new kitchens; fit up to 7,500 new bathrooms; rewir
20/08/2010
The Scottish Building Federation has reacted to the latest ‘Trends in Lending’ report from the Bank of England by reiterating its call for intervention to address restrictive lending practices in the construction sector. The Federation’s Chief Executive, Michael Levack, said: “Latest figures from t
20/08/2010
A range of local community projects have been given a funding boost in the last twelve months, members of the City of Dunfermline area committee heard yesterday. City of Dunfermline area had £623,000 to spend over the past year on various initiatives that would make a positive difference. Over 90
20/08/2010
Scottish businesses have been awarded contracts worth £4 million by Hammerfest Strøm UK, a company jointly owned by Scottish Power Renewables and Norwegian energy companies. Fife-based Burntisland Fabrication Limited (BiFab) has the main £2 million contract for the next stage of the development of
20/08/2010
India's Renewable Energy Minister, the Head of Climate Change & Environment for the European Investment Bank and the EU's North Sea Grid Co-ordinator are due to address a major international conference In Edinburgh next month. First Minister Alex Salmond will open the two-day Scottish Low Carbon In
19/08/2010
Argyll and Bute Council has this week been fined £20,000 after a man drove off the unprotected edge of a car park situated on a pier, fell into the sea below, and was drowned. Duncan MacGillivray, 75, died on 17th September 2007, at Coal Pier, Dunoon, when he apparently put his car into forward gea
19/08/2010
The Duke of Rothesay has attended a workshop at the Castle of Mey looking at future opportunities for marine energy in Caithness and North Sutherland. The event was jointly organised by The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment and the North Highland Initiative in association with the partn
19/08/2010
Aberdeen city councillors have reaffirmed their commitment to Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre – and have agreed to investigate new ways of creating a four-star hotel at the venue. The Full Council meeting accepted that the intended financial package to deliver AECC's proposed hotel develo
19/08/2010
The proposed blueprint for Aberdeen's development over the next 13 years has been approved by Aberdeen City Councillors. The Aberdeen Local Development Plan – Proposed Plan, Supplementary Guidance and Action Programme identifies land to meet the housing allowances and employment land allocations la
19/08/2010
Street lights in Dundee are repaired more than twice as quickly as the next best performing city in Scotland according to a new report. Councillors will be told next week that as well as a swift response to problems, Dundonians can also expect fewer faults in their street lighting. Members of Dund
19/08/2010
One of Scotland’s leading workplace design firm as agreed a deal to become an official sponsor of one of Edinburgh’s top amateur rugby clubs. Space Solutions, which has enjoyed impressive growth despite the recession, has agreed a four-figure deal to become the new First XV shirt sponsor of Borough
18/08/2010
Scottish surveyors reported the lowest net balance of house prices (+1) since June 2009. This comes as demand from purchasers slipped into the negative (-7 from +3 in June) and the number of properties coming to the market also remained negative (-15), says the latest RICS UK Housing Market survey.
18/08/2010
Islanders on Raasay, off Skye, were on Tuesday celebrating the opening of their £12 million new ferry terminal. Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport Infrastructure and Climate Change, joined pupils from Raasay Primary School in unveiling a plaque to mark the completion of the terminal at Chur
18/08/2010
Good news for the young sporting stars of the future as East Dunbartonshire Council in partnership with Rossvale Football Club have been awarded a staggering £100,000 from the Cashback for Communities Fund. This much needed money has been invested in new a G3 synthetic football pitch at Huntershil
18/08/2010
The first steps towards a new plan that will outline future development in Dundee are being taken. An initial consultation exercise on the local development plan for the city started on Monday (August 16). The seven week exercise will make people aware that the Dundee Local Development Plan is bei
18/08/2010
Angus Council is reconstructing the footway at Knowehead Crescent in Kirriemuir. The works, which consists of drainage and resurfacing work, began on Monday and will take around six weeks to complete. Pedestrian access to properties will be maintained but there will be some disruption to pedestria
18/08/2010
Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) has been granted planning permission by the City of Edinburgh Council to build over 100 new homes at Western Harbour, Newhaven. The site, at Lindsay Road, is due to go on site next year, subject to funding, with work taking around two years. PoLHA recently
17/08/2010
First Minister Alex Salmond has met Statoil, a Norwegian based oil company, to discuss the possibility of developing the world's first floating wind farm in Scotland. The company has identified two potential sites, one off the coast of Lewis and one off Aberdeenshire that could be suitable for a pi
17/08/2010
Aberdeen Royal InfirmaryNG Bailey has been appointed by Robertson Construction Group to deliver Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) and Information Communication Technology (ICT) Services, for NHS Grampian’s new Emergency Care Centre at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. The contract, worth circa £26.5m to the co
17/08/2010
Two young employees of leading Aberdeen-based oil and gas engineering services company Cammach Group have scooped awards. During a recent awards ceremony in the city, Ben Thomson was crowned best first year refrigeration apprentice at Tullos Training Centre, a leading provider for apprentice traini
17/08/2010
Midlothian Council has officially handed over the 500th house in its newbuild programme. The event also saw Midlothian Council Leader Councillor Derek Milligan call on the Scottish Government to increase financial support for local authority house building programmes. Midlothian Council is the
17/08/2010
Aberdeen-based Aiken Group has announced the addition of four key members of staff to the growing team. The oil and gas firm is a leading and innovative supplier of integrated, solutions-based engineering and a specialist service provider. Aiken Group provides clients with “a one stop shop” servic
17/08/2010
A Co Down company director has been disqualified from business following unfit conduct. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (the Department) has accepted a disqualification undertaking for six years from David John Wilson (47) of Brookside Road, Ballynahinch, Co Down, in respect of h
16/08/2010
The Highland Council is seeking Euro funding to proceed with three lifeline road projects. They are the: A890 Strathcarron to Balnacra, West Ross; A861 Drynie Hill, north of Acharacle, Ardnamurchan and; A838 North approach to Laxford Bridge, North-West Sutherland The Council’s capital programme ha
16/08/2010
The next generation of Scotland's building industry has experienced the homes of the future at Scotland's Housing Expo at Milton of Leys, Inverness, thanks to leading building company Rok. The 14 apprentices, who started their training with Rok at the beginning of August, gained an insight into the
16/08/2010
The Highland Council will be undertaking an important audit over the next two months, consulting with landowners to find out how land for housing will be brought forward over the next few years. Landowners will be consulted on the council’s Draft Housing Land Audit and asked to provide updated info
16/08/2010
Controversial government plans for a mandatory deposit scheme would not do enough to protect tenants’ money according to experts at Edinburgh’s Cullen Property. The plans could see landlords governed by dispute resolution obligations and forced to pay rent deposits into named tenant accounts in an
16/08/2010
Planning Aid for Scotland (PAS) has welcomed the publication of the new planning statistics but says that the drop in planning applications is in stark contrast to rising demand for independent planning advice by the public. The number of planning applications decided by Scotland's planning authori
16/08/2010
The managing director of Rok in Scotland has issued a strong defence of the building firm’s performance north of the border, following a profit warning on Thursday which led to the company’s London share price dropping 45%. Andy Mallice, Managing Director of Rok, Scotland, said: “Waking up to newsp
13/08/2010
What was once an overgrown area in Raploch, Stirling used informally by a few people has now been transformed into a wide, surfaced path that provides an important safe walking and cycling link between the Millennium Way and the Castle Business Park as well as completing a route through to Drip Road
13/08/2010
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has issued a reminder to struggling homeowners to seek help early to have a better chance of staying in their homes. His call came as new research shows that the number of home owners who have given up their home due to financial difficulties has been much higher
13/08/2010
Scottish Ministers have granted I & H Brown planning permission for a 14 turbine wind farm at Calliachar, Aberfeldy, Perthshire. This follows a public local inquiry held in April 2009. The project will be purchased by SSE and the sale is hoped to be completed later this year. The project has been
13/08/2010
Plans to create a new park and ride site in the north-west of Aberdeen are to be considered by councillors next week. Members of the Development Management Sub-committee are recommended to approve the plans, lodged by Aberdeen City Council, for the site next to Walton Farm in Bucksburn. The propos
13/08/2010
Apprentices, learning providers, colleges and employers, who have contributed significantly to the development of the Modern Apprenticeship programme in Scotland are being sought with the launch of Scotland's 2010 Modern Apprenticeship Awards on Thursday. These Awards will showcase those who have,
13/08/2010
An Aberdeenshire company has announced a number of appointments following a period of company restructuring. The Oil Technics Group, which has three subsidiary companies – Oil Technics Ltd, Oil Technics Fire Fighting Products Ltd and Bio Technics Ltd - has welcomed two new dedicated sales managers
12/08/2010
Housebuilders Mactaggart & Mickel have lodged an application for planning permission in principle with Midlothian Council for a mixed use development on the former site of Forrest Furnishings in the Thornybank area of Dalkeith (artists impression available on request) Proposals for the site include
12/08/2010
The public is being invited to have their say on the Highland-wide plan that will govern future developments in the Highlands, from the siting of major wind farms and industry to a new community along the A 96 corridor between Inverness and Nairn. A 10-week public consultation on the Highland wide
12/08/2010
Building work at the Mill Hill Centre in Kelloholm is complete and construction firm Ashleigh (Scotland) Ltd has handed the building over to Dumfries and Galloway Council and NHS Dumfries and Galloway. The final installation of fixtures and fittings and checks to ensure that all systems are fully
12/08/2010
Building firm Rok has announced there have been "serious failings in the financial control of the Plumbing, Heating and Electrical (PHE) business" following an independent review. The firm has also suspended Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Ashley Martin with immediate effect and his duties will be pa
12/08/2010
Lovell has been selected by Shettleston Housing Association to carry out a £600,000 programme of internal refurbishment for homes in Shettleston and Greenfield, Glasgow. The company will modernise 26 houses and 44 flats installing new kitchens and bathrooms and rewiring properties. Work on the fou
12/08/2010
Scotland’s leading windows and conservatories company CR Smith is investing in its roofline and cladding business as it continues to see more Scots upgrading their homes rather than move. CR Smith has introduced new products and is adding six new roofline teams, an additional surveyor and manager t
11/08/2010
Scottish Borders Council has awarded the contract for work on Nell Logan’s Bridge, near Preston, to Rodger (Builders) Ltd from Earlston. Work is due to begin on Monday 23 August and is expected to take 16 weeks. Due to the nature of the work and the restricted road width, the bridge will be closed
11/08/2010
An Aberdeen-based quarrying company has been fined £96,000 after a man was crushed to death while working beneath a mechanical digger. Arthur Jamieson, 58, from Keith, Banffshire, was working beneath the digger on 21 November 2008 at Parkmore Quarry, Dufftown, Aberlour, when the vehicle rolled back
11/08/2010
A historic clan mansion on the Hebridean island of Raasay is set to rise from the ashes as an outdoor adventure centre thanks to a multi-million pound restoration. Raasay House was gutted by fire one night in January 2009, just as building firm Rok was nearing the end of a modernisation programme f
11/08/2010
This September sees the annual Doors Open Days initiative taking place across Scotland, and once again, the Falkirk area does not disappoint, with five local buildings giving visitors the chance to admire their design, architectural features and, in one case, unusual quirks. The Doors Open Days sc
11/08/2010
Work to improve Oldmeldrum town centre, its appearance and the experience and safety of visitors is now almost complete. Improvements were drawn up by a local working group and residents and businesses have been consulted throughout the project. A large part of the work is now complete and local b
11/08/2010
Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop came face to face with a replica of one of the Stirling Heads as she saw the progress made on the £12m conservation and presentation project underway at Stirling Palace. The visit comes ahead of the reopening of James V’s Royal Palace within Stirling Castle at Easter 2
10/08/2010
Portobello Town Centre has been given a major revamp following £769,015 of investment from the Scottish Government and the City of Edinburgh Council. Last year the Council put in a bid to the Scottish Government’s £60 million Town Centre Regeneration Fund for the regeneration of Portobello High Str
10/08/2010
Construction on Forth Valley College's £29 million Stirling campus got underway today after Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon cut the first sod on the East Kildean site. The campus will bring significant economic benefits to Stirling by increasing its student population by 1,350 to more than 3,
10/08/2010
Having seen a number of SME house builders and commercial property companies either going into administration or ceasing trading as a result of the downturn in the residential and commercial property markets, Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has launched a unique project consultancy initiative to offer
10/08/2010
Plans for Edinburgh’s first ‘store on stilts’ have been submitted to City of Edinburgh Council following a consultation period which showed strong local backing. The proposal by developer Morbaine Ltd could see an 80,000 sq ft store built on the disused site of a former B&Q on Inglis Green Road, Lo
10/08/2010
Glasgow-based Parkhead Welding Company has won a contract to help build the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The Company will provide metalwork for the building, to be used for badminton as well as track cycling. They'll also work on the National Indoor Sport Arena. The fi
10/08/2010
The Tods Murray Capital Projects team, led by Partner Ian McPake, advised the private sector contractor Connect Roads Coventry Limited, a Balfour Beatty-owned SPV, on Coventry City Council’s PFI street lighting project, which reached financial close this week. With the deal secured, Connect Roads w
09/08/2010
Scottish Building Federation Chief Executive Michael Levack has said the latest preliminary UK insolvency figures which indicate that the number of Scottish construction firms forced into compulsory insolvency has rocketed by 245 per cent in the last three months of this year, compared to the same p
09/08/2010
A Greenock thoroughfare is set to be transformed as part of a major project to redevelop the town centre. Work gets underway on Monday 9th August on West Blackhall Street to give shop fronts, pavements and road surfaces a new lease of life. Regeneration Convener Councillor Jim Clocherty said: “Thi
09/08/2010
Key players in emergency planning throughout the Highlands and Islands will be meeting in Orkney on August 31 to hold a public seminar in association with Orkney Islands Council about disaster preparedness and the oil industry. This is the first time that the Highlands & Islands Strategic Coordinat
09/08/2010
Following a number of successful projects for Riverside Inverclyde, AGM Group has been appointed to deliver shop front improvements and signage replacements to eleven shops in Cathcart Street, Greenock. Andrew Meek, Managing Director of AGM Group, said: “We are delighted to be appointed to this pro
09/08/2010
Scottish councils could be in for a green cash bonanza following a decision by the UK Government to give them the power to sell electricity generated from renewable sources to the National Grid, according to a leading Scottish energy lawyer. Paul Minto, Head of Public Services at national law firm
09/08/2010
The Highland Council is applying to the Scottish Government for permission to extend the freeze on the right to buy council houses to ease housing pressures. If the council is successful with its application, 89% of its housing stock of 13,602 properties will be covered by the suspension, leaving o
06/08/2010
One of Scotland's leading workplace design specialists, Space Solutions, has shown that it can 'practise what it preaches' when it comes being bold in monitoring your property costs. The company has carried out a review of its Edinburgh premises which has allowed it to free up 700 sq ft of unneeded
06/08/2010
More than 1,200 tenants will be given the opportunity to vote in September on plans to transfer their GHA homes to community ownership. GHA Board has approved business plans from two community-based housing associations who want to take ownership of a total of 1246 homes across three areas under th
06/08/2010
Graham & Sibbald have announced the completion of two lettings at Elmwood House Edinburgh on behalf of Elmwood Design Limited. Marshalls Property have taken on the entire ground floor of the premises including a double garage at a passing rental of £14,500 per annum on a five-year lease. HarrisonS
06/08/2010
A top surveyor firm, Shepherd Chartered Surveyors, has accelerated its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint with the introduction of a new fleet of fuel efficient vehicles. Four new BMW 320eds have joined the four 'Econetic' Ford Focus models which were added to the fleet last month. This lates
06/08/2010
Improvement work has commenced at Greenock Crematorium with new, heavy duty safety flooring installed and essential maintenance work carried out on the cremators. Convener of Safe, Sustainable Communities, Councillor Robert Moran said: "We have spoken to local funeral directors about the works and
06/08/2010
Building sites are not adventure playgrounds - that is the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) message to parents and children as school holidays are well underway in Scotland. HSE is encouraging parents to warn their children of the dangers of playing on them, after one child died and 25 were inju
05/08/2010
The Highland Council’s Housing and Social Work Committee has unanimously agreed to investigate the feasibility of embarking on a new council house building programme. The plan is to lease or transfer council houses as they become vacant to a private sector partner in return for a capital payment.
05/08/2010
Balfour Beatty Engineering Services (BBES) has been appointed by BAM Construction to supply and install electrical services for the redevelopment of the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. The Regional Business of BBES has been awarded a £1.4m contract to redevelop the Scottish National Portrai
05/08/2010
A leading Scottish energy lawyer has backed calls for the proposed £2billion Green Investment Bank to be located in Scotland. Tom Speirs, a partner in the energy team at national law firm, HBJ Gateley Wareing, backed the call made by Rob Gibson MSP to have the Green Investment Bank located north of
05/08/2010
Aberdeen office fit-out specialists Accommodation Services Management (ASM) have been named as finalists in a prestigious business award. The Bridge of Don-based company has been short-listed in the socially responsible company in the 2010 Northern Star Business Awards. Now in their seventh year
05/08/2010
A Galliford Try-led consortium has signed a deal confirming it will deliver £300m of community building projects across South East Scotland over the next 10 years. The firm will work as part of the SPACE consortium, which includes Davis Langdon Investments and Fulcrum Infrastructure Group, as devel
05/08/2010
The use of natural building stone is being frequently restricted or even omitted altogether from building projects on the grounds of high initial cost. But just how high is this initial cost and what are the long term benefits of building in natural stone? According to Martin Kirk, director of Sc
04/08/2010
The City of Edinburgh Council announced today that it was withdrawing its assets from the proposed £300m Caltongate development as it became clear that the protracted negotiations between the Lloyds Banking Group and potential developers were unlikely to be successful. This decision will enable the
04/08/2010
Industry body, Homes for Scotland, has declared Scotland's Housing Expo, a month long exhibition in Inverness showcasing 52 innovative sustainable homes, an inspiration as to what can be achieved in the most difficult of economic circumstances. This follows a visit by a delegation from the organisa
04/08/2010
One of Scotland's leading building firms, Rok, continues to invest in new talent despite the difficult economic conditions and has appointed 16 young apprentices from across the country. The firm's new apprentices, aged between 16 and 19 will undertake training in a variety of disciplines including
04/08/2010
Council tenants in Edinburgh could benefit from up to £1,000 in a pilot scheme to tackle the issue of under-occupied homes. A new Tenants Incentive proposal aims to free up much-needed housing space for those families who are living in homes that are far too small for them. Under the citywide pilo
04/08/2010
The refurbishment of the Glenuig Inn on Lochaber's stunning coastline has been shaped by two major factors - one safeguarding its historic past and the other creating a shining beacon for the future. For Steve Macfarlane, Director at the Inn, has created a showcase facility which demonstrates how a
04/08/2010
A new dental surgery in Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway, is set to benefit from the sound insulation properties of Icynene spray foam. Eco Insulate Ltd carried out the application at The Birch Valley Dental Clinic during conversion of an existing building to form the new surgery. Sound proofing w
03/08/2010
Lovell has been awarded two contracts totalling more than £13 million to carry out housing modernisation work for Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) over the next 12 months. Lovell will refurbish 1,250 homes in the north-east and east of Glasgow – including Ruchazie, Cranhill, Milton and Royston – c
03/08/2010
The Scottish Government is consulting on regulations to govern national tenancy deposit schemes aimed at preventing landlords from wrongly withholding cash from tenants. Wrongly withheld tenancy deposits in Scotland may amount to nearly £3.6 million per annum, due to between 8,000 and 11,000 tenant
03/08/2010
The speed at which UK energy suppliers will be required to install smart meters in their customers' homes is to be accelerated, according to the Government's Smart Metering Prospectus. But while welcoming the move, which could significantly help to reduce the country's carbon footprint, leading law
03/08/2010
A drop in event has been organised in Campbeltown to bring the general public up to speed on the major infrastructure projects in the pipeline. The event, at Campbeltown’s Town Hall on Wednesday, August 11 from 11am-7pm, will dovetail with ACHA’s Customer Involvement Day, which is being held at the
03/08/2010
Communities are being urged to speak up for rural Scotland and join the debate into its future. Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, launched a three month consultation on plans devised by the Rural Development Council to help boost economic recovery. Launching the consultation t
03/08/2010
Operators of serviced suites accommodation in Aberdeen, Birmingham and Glasgow, The Spires, is to exhibit at the NBTA International Convention & Exposition which takes place in Houston Texas, from August 8 to 11. The Spires will be on Stand 544 in the exhibition hall at the George R. Brown Convent
02/08/2010
lan Hind, from Corrie Common near Lockerbie was left with a crushed skull and permanent brain damage after falling through an industrial roof he was working on in Carlisle. His employers were last week fined a total of £13,000. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted brothers Robert and
02/08/2010
Transport Scotland has appointed Headland Archaeology (UK) Limited to carry out archaeological investigations and search for items of historical interest on the land earmarked for the Forth Replacement Crossing (FRC). Investigations will include geophysical survey, trial trenches and hand excavati
02/08/2010
An ambitious Lochaber based outdoor adventure business providing white water rafting and canoeing trips has opened a third centre in Loch Awe near Oban. Highland Activities has this week begun running grade two and three white water rafting trips on the River Awe for families, holiday makers and an
02/08/2010
Art lovers now have another venue to cater to their cultural appetite as Edinburgh's City Art Centre reopened its doors at the weekend. Following a fifteen month refurbishment, the ever popular Market Street gallery will resume its prominent place in Edinburgh's visual art scene just in time for it
02/08/2010
The development partnership of City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Enterprise and Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) Limited yesterday broke ground on the site of an £85m Expansion Space for EICC and separate Grade A Offices, signalling the start of one of Scotland’s biggest constructi
02/08/2010
The Oban CHORD Project Board will meet on Wednesday, August 4 to discuss Oban Bay Marine’s revised proposal for a short stay yacht berthing facility in Oban. The group will then make a recommendation to the CHORD Programme Management Board, which meets the following day. Last September the council
