Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Scotland Construction News Archive for February 2011
28/02/2011
Tenants First Housing Co-operative has secured a £5 million loan for the social housing element at the Donside Urban Village development in Aberdeen. The funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB) was provided by The Housing Finance Corporation (THFC). Sandy Murray, Chief Executive of Tenant
28/02/2011
Following Audit Scotland’s report last week into the condition of both local and strategic roads, Transport Minister, Keith Brown has today confirmed his acceptance of its central recommendations. A national review looking at how the road network is managed and maintained, including how we can work
28/02/2011
A community-led company in the North of Scotland is celebrating the purchase of 40 hectares of land at Rumster Forest in Caithness and is now pressing forward its ambitious plans to generate sustainable income for its own residents. Latheron Lybster and Clyth Community Development Company (LLCCDC)
28/02/2011
Scottish Renewables annual conference Scotland Unlimited: Realising the Ambition will be held in Glasgow on 22 and 23 March 2011. This landmark event for the renewables industry attracts over 400 attendees, who this year will hear from renowned national and international speakers addressing the bi
28/02/2011
Home sellers in Dundee are being given the chance to put their properties on the market for free thanks to a new initiative from city law firm Warners. The firm is waiving all up-front costs for its clients in the Dundee and Tayside region, which will allow them to avoid paying up to £1000 in up-fr
28/02/2011
Developers are being offered an exciting opportunity to provide a new future for the historic Bangour Hospital site in West Lothian. The hospital, which closed a number of years ago, is within easy reach of Livingston and has good access to the M8, very convenient for commuting to Edinburgh or Glas
25/02/2011
A total of 1,055 council houses were started in 2010, more than double the 408 in 2009 and the highest recorded in 20 years, official figures confirmed today. The Scottish Government is investing £100 million to reverse decades of decline in council house building, supporting the construction of al
25/02/2011
Stirling Council and Ogilvie Construction have broken ground on a new £2.9 million Recycling and Waste Management Facility at Lower Polmaise, near Fallin. As the Council works towards meeting Zero Waste targets, the new facility will receive all recyclables and waste collected from households, and
25/02/2011
Funding to redevelop two of Glasgow's leading venues in time for the 2014 Commonwealth Games has been announced. Culture and External Affairs Minister Fiona Hyslop confirmed the Scottish Government has allocated more than a million pounds from its 2011/12 budget for work on the Theatre Royal and Gl
25/02/2011
Scotland’s home building industry today expressed its anger at Scottish house purchase lending figures for 2010 which show a drop of more than 50% in the number of loans being advanced since 2007 and accused the UK Government of denying 146,000 households the homes they needed and deserved because t
25/02/2011
Owners of public buildings and businesses will soon be able to generate energy using technologies such as solar panels without requiring planning permission. The Scottish Government has already reduced the planning burden for homeowners wishing to install certain technologies. But planning permissi
25/02/2011
Gracemount Primary has unveiled its brand new nursery. The new £1 million development will provide modern early years education facilities for three to five-year-olds in the area. Funded by money made available as a result of Edinburgh Council's school closure process, the new nursery development
24/02/2011
Thousands of people struggling to pay sky-high utility bills in Edinburgh and surrounds this winter must wish they could take a payment holiday. So maybe they should consider buying a new Barratt East Scotland home, because the housebuilder is offering to give homebuyers gas, electricity, water and
24/02/2011
Plans to build a new high school in Portobello were approved today by councillors on the city's planning committee. Set on parkland beside Portobello Golf Course, the development will include the latest teaching facilities, a 25-metre swimming pool and all weather sports pitches which will be acc
24/02/2011
Water quality engineering firm Panton McLeod has presented a Scottish Water graduate trainee with a new i-Pod Touch after she beat hundreds of other entrants in a special prize draw. Graduate management trainee Vivienne Dell was awarded the state of the art gadget after being named as the lucky win
24/02/2011
John Easton, head of Archial Sustainable Futures, the research, development and advice consultancy, will highlight a lack of skills as a key challenge to the construction sector at the launch of ICARB (the Initiative for Carbon Accounting) at Holyrood today. The event will mark the formal transitio
24/02/2011
Edinburgh based chartered surveyors ‘Synergy Surveying’ have launched a new commercial EPC Website
24/02/2011
E.ON has welcomed the news that it has won the exclusive right to explore the potential for new wind energy projects on two lots of land owned by Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS). E.ON estimates that the two awarded lots located in the north and west of Scotland have the potential to generate aro
23/02/2011
Midlothian Council has granted planning permission in principle for proposals for a mixed use development on the former site of Forrest Furnishings in the Thornybank area of Dalkeith. Mactaggart & Mickel originally submitted an application for the development of the site in August last year followi
23/02/2011
Private equity investment in UK upstream oil and gas technology firms will be boosted by an increase in exploration and production (E&P) spending, according to funding expert Greg Herrera. Mr Herrera, a partner in venture capital group Energy Ventures, said private equity activity will be stimulat
23/02/2011
Scotland's first Social Housing Charter has moved a step closer, Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil announced on Monday. A discussion paper has been published summarising responses from a series of summer road shows. It also provides suggestions on how to develop the Charter further. The S
23/02/2011
Scottish based NEL, a leading provider of pipeline fluid management services to the global petroleum industry, is calling on all oil and gas operators to attend the hydrocarbon flow measurement workshop and exhibition at Hotel InterContinental, (formally Hotel Nikko) Kuala Lumpur (8-10 March 2011),
23/02/2011
At last the mystery behind the surge in demand for the services of Cairn Estate and Letting Agency’s maintenance team can be revealed – and it’s not been the damaging effects of a long, harsh winter. Whilst the freezing winter conditions has undoubtedly taken its toll on the fabric of some properti
23/02/2011
The planning process for hydro electric schemes is set to be simpler and quicker. From June 2011 new applications up to 50 Megawatts (MW) will be determined by councils rather than Ministers. Currently, hydro schemes over 1 MW are decided by Ministers and the changes will bring hydro into line wit
22/02/2011
The Scottish Government has today laid before Parliament two Orders to extend the time limits for the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) to compulsorily acquire the land needed to complete its trams project. CEC requested the extension of these powers under provisions in the Edinburgh Tram Acts author
22/02/2011
CALA Homes have lodged a detailed planning application for the redevelopment of the six-acre former Trinity Park House site in Edinburgh. The application includes a range of semi-detached, terraced and mews houses along with some apartments on an enclosed, tree-lined site. Kevin Whitaker, Managin
22/02/2011
BT is the latest partner in a high-profile campaign to make Glasgow one of the most sustainable cities in Europe, it was announced today. The communications company has signed up to Sustainable Glasgow, which brings together the public and private sectors and academia to reduce carbon emissions, bo
22/02/2011
Aberdeenshire firm ThinJack has announced a key addition to its Westhill-based engineering team. Richard Mearns from Aberdeen has been appointed to the role of mechanical technician based at the company’s headquarters at Arnhall Business Park, Westhill. He brings to the job skills in hydraulic s
22/02/2011
WWF Scotland has responded to the news that Labour plan to have 10,000 more homes producing renewable energy across Scotland in the next four years if they gain power following the elections in May. Dr Dan Barlow, Head of Policy at WWF Scotland said: "With homes responsible for a quarter of our cli
22/02/2011
Visitors to St John's Shopping Centre, Perth, will be treated to a whole new 'loo-k' from next month as the centre prepares for the first major redecoration of their public toilet facilities since it opened in 1987. The public loo, which will take two weeks to fully fit out, will adopt a modern and
21/02/2011
Network Rail engineers are undertaking a rock stabilisation project on the line between Weymss Bay and Glasgow. The work began three Sunday's ago and will continue this weekend to repair a rock cutting damaged by December’s severe weather. Stone on the cutting, between Bishopton and Langbank, has
21/02/2011
Leading commercial lawyers Warners have launched a new division to cement its credentials as a talented and highly innovative team serving the legal needs of the rapidly growing energy sector in Scotland. The creation of Ennova Renewable Energy Law comes as Warners Commercial has seen demand for
21/02/2011
Social firm Erskine and leading Scottish construction company City Building have announced a new partnership today, forging a bond between two organisations committed to social enterprise. The partnership will see the two organisations work together to provide more employment for war veterans and
21/02/2011
Skills body, the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils in Scotland (Alliance Scotland) has given its backing to proposals for the creation of a new fund designed to support Scotland’s emerging renewable energy industry. Through its 23 constituent Sector Skills Councils (SSCs), the Alliance Scotland re
21/02/2011
Glasgow-based Fit out, Housing and Maintenance company Morris & Spottiswood dug deep in their pockets to the tune of £2,500 to help out local school Wellshot Primary in Shettleston. The school held a Highland Games in January, but the money raised was stolen in a shock break in at the school recent
21/02/2011
Many farmers keen to find ways of diversifying have found a welcome stream of revenue literally sitting on their land. They have realised the potential of letting out the cottages previously tenanted by their workers. Amanda Wiewiorka of Wardhaugh Property Management in Forfar estimates she has bet
18/02/2011
First Minister Alex Salmond today issued a rallying call to Scotland's large and small private sector employers, urging them to hire the 25,000 modern apprenticeships being created in the coming year. The figure is a record high and 58 per cent higher than the level in 2006-07. In a letter to Scotl
18/02/2011
An ambitious plan laying out where development should and should not go in four local council areas for the next 20 years has been backed by councillors. Members of the TAYplan Joint Committee approved the Proposed Strategic Development Plan which sets out a 20 year framework for growth, developmen
18/02/2011
Plans to revitalise one of the most important streets in Irvine have taken a step closer with the appointment of renowned architects to deliver a £2.4 million scheme. Irvine Bay Regeneration Company, working with North Ayrshire Council, has approved a bid by Austin-Smith:Lord to regenerate the Brid
18/02/2011
Hundreds of local households have been signing up for greener, lower-carbon homes, with the help of Clackmannanshire's Home Insulation Scheme, following on from the successful bid by the Council for home insulation funding from the Government. Since the scheme came into operation last November, ove
18/02/2011
Experts from across Scotland gathered at New Lanark this week for Historic Scotland’s vernacular buildings conference. The event looked at the important role of Scotland’s rich vernacular heritage in telling the story of Scotland’s past, its people, and their communities. These buildings, in contr
18/02/2011
Angus Council has been successful in obtaining further grant funding of £16,000 from the Scottish Government, to help with installation of insulation measures in the council’s housing stock. This is in addition to the £32,000 grant already sourced, bringing the total to £48,000 for the current fin
17/02/2011
Relationships between Irvine and China have never been stronger. Ruiju Cai - known as Carol - who has been working with a local engineering company Allenwest Wallacetown Ltd for six years was recently presented with her professional certificate. Carol joined Allenwest in 2004 having already gaine
17/02/2011
Barclay Curle has a history in Scotland stretching back to when the company was founded in 1818 until it closed in the 1980s. Today, the former shipyard continues its industrial tradition by providing flexible and affordable industrial units, office suites and yards which are all housed within a
17/02/2011
Work starts this week on an energy efficient business centre for Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn (Galson Estate Trust) which is supported by HIE. The £850,000 development is also part funded by the Big Lottery's Community Assets programme and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and will include a new office for
17/02/2011
A fleet of new ice patrol vehicles are set to improve Scotland’s resilience said Transport Minister Keith Brown today. The Minister was speaking as he launched a pilot of fifteen vehicles equipped with mobile ice sensors. This pilot fleet has already taken to the road and, if successful, the equipm
17/02/2011
A leading independent oil operator has demonstrated its commitment to preserving the north-east's rich oil and gas heritage by funding a prestigious education initiative at Aberdeen Maritime Museum. Maersk Oil North Sea UK Limited (Maersk Oil) is donating £90,000 to help fund the refurbishment of t
17/02/2011
Following two years of development, Aberdeen Drilling Consultants has launched its new ADC Virtual Academy division, offering the world’s first online course focussed on drilling equipment for the oil and gas industry. Understanding Drilling Equipment is a foundation course that will help participa
16/02/2011
The Scottish housing market saw a marked increase in the number of potential buyers enquiring about property for sale in January says the latest RICS UK Housing Market Survey. Scotland was the area of the UK which saw the biggest increase in demand for property. Sixteen per cent more surveyors repo
16/02/2011
Andrew Castle, a design engineer based at Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries (Blindcraft), has been awarded a prestigious Student Prize run by the Institution of Engineering Designers (iED) and the Engineering Council UK. Andrew, a 23-year-old originally from Dunblane, won the prize for his pr
16/02/2011
First Minister Alex Salmond joined Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary at Glasgow Prestwick Airport today for the official opening of the company's new £8 million maintenance hangar. The creation of a second maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at the airport will create 200 jobs. The Scot
16/02/2011
Housing charity Shelter Scotland has accused Lord Freud the UK Minister for Welfare Reform of ignorance over the impact of housing benefit cuts on homeless people in Scotland. The criticism follows a letter from Lord Freud in response to a Scottish Government report - backed by the charity and othe
16/02/2011
Ayr-based firm Owen Kerr Signs have successfully completed a commission from the Scottish Parliament to provide signage for the various Committee Rooms in the building. Proprietor Owen Kerr explains: “Last year we were contacted by the Scottish Parliament and invited to design and manufacture a ser
16/02/2011
Having already got the year off to a flying start, if the record-breaking number of properties let by Cairn Estate and Letting Agency are anything to go by, Glasgow’s residential property letting market continues to gather pace. Not only did Cairn more than quadruple the number of properties it let
15/02/2011
Network Rail engineers will begin work this month on a £9m project to create a fully-glazed roof covering all of the platforms and track at Paisley Gilmour Street station. The new 4,740sqm roof will be installed in sections over the next nine months without disruption to train services and with min
15/02/2011
Design works for a major improvement to a key north east route was given the go-ahead today by Transport Minister Keith Brown. The necessary preparatory work will identify the preferred design solutions for the complex task of removing the current traffic bottleneck at the A96 Inveramsay Bridge to
15/02/2011
A Lerwick based manufacturer with a track record in renewable energy technology is planning to move into new premises and increase its workforce as the business expands. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has been working with Fred Gibson, Managing Director of Shetland Composites in his aspirat
15/02/2011
The latest state-of-the-art care home commissioned by the City of Edinburgh Council is to be called Inch View. Pupils at neighbouring Liberton Primary School drew up a list of possible names after carrying out research into the history of the area. Residents and staff of the two current care homes
15/02/2011
The John Clark Motor Group has opened its new Specialist Cars Skoda dealership in Dundee. The new business represents an investment of around £250,000 by the group and brings its total investment in premises in Dundee to more than £6 million over the past five years. The new Specialist Cars Skoda
15/02/2011
Apollo has continued to grow its presence across Scotland with a number of new contracts recently secured. The Scotland team, based in Apollo’s Glasgow office, will soon commence work to upgrade fire doors on sheltered housing complexes across Scotland for Hanover (Scotland); to carry out external
14/02/2011
The Scottish Borders Council has announced that works will shortly begin in readiness for the trial one-way system within Kelso town centre. The preparatory works are due to start during the week commencing 14 February 2011 and will take around four weeks to complete. The works will see the establi
14/02/2011
The Mechanics’ Institute in Brechin is to get a makeover. The landmark building is to have a revamp as part of a £267,000 investment. Angus Council’s Corporate Services Committee recently approved financial support of £59,000 for the project from the burgh’s Common Good Fund. The remainder of the
14/02/2011
A public meeting is being held at 7.30 pm on Wednesday 23 February at Wick High School to give interested parties the chance to have their say on the design of the proposed new state of the art secondary school for the community. The Council has appointed an expert team to prepare a detailed brief
14/02/2011
New pedestrian and visitor signage is being installed across Falkirk centre this month that aims to make directions clearer for everyone. The signs will provide visitor and shopping information about the main retail sites within the town as well as additional visitor information about the town cent
14/02/2011
Council tax in Angus has been frozen for a fifth year. Band D council tax remains at £1072, excluding water charges, for 2011/12. The council’s finance spokesperson councillor Mark Salmond said the Angus Alliance budget was one that would help build Angus’ future, with roads a top priority. “In se
14/02/2011
Budget proposals for the 2011/12 Housing Revenue Account [HRA] and the Housing Capital Account have been approved by Aberdeen city councillors. This enables the setting of the rent level for the financial year 2011/12, provisional rent levels for financial years 2012/13 and 2013/14, and in turn a
11/02/2011
Edinburgh’s ambitious project to build the first new council homes for a generation has taken an exciting step forward. Award-winning architects firm Anderson Bell + Christie have been appointed to provide outline designs and guides for the North Sighthill and Pennywell & Muirhouse elements of the
11/02/2011
ATR Group, the global plant, lifting and tool rental specialist, has been awarded the ISO 14001:2004 global certification for its Environmental Management System (EMS). The award demonstrates ATR’s environmental commitment to staff, customers and stakeholders. Scott Cormack, Director of Business
11/02/2011
More cash will be ploughed into large scale regeneration in Scotland over the next year, the Scottish Government said today. Over £31 million has been secured as part of the Scottish Government's budget for this year, an increase of £6 million on funding planned in the draft budget. The funding wi
11/02/2011
New Scottish Energy Laboratory (SEL) has been launched to strengthen collaboration across 50 energy research, test and demonstration facilities and underpin Scotland's leading position in low carbon energy development. The SEL will be a 'virtual' hub for national and international companies to iden
11/02/2011
From April 1, 2011 the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme (CCAGS) will be targeted exclusively towards Scotland's crofters, with non-crofters no longer eligible to apply. All crofters, whether tenants or owner-occupiers, will now be treated equally with the removal of the Economic Status T
11/02/2011
Alba Structural Systems has been called in to offer expert advice on the new North Glasgow College. The award winning building was designed by the same team that designed the Scottish parliament building. The college has some large open areas with atrium spaces but there was need for more teachi
10/02/2011
The MOD has announced that it will develop six regional capital works frameworks for construction projects valued below £12m and one national framework for higher value projects, more complex projects and cross-region programmes up to a value of £50m, under its Next Generation Estate Contracts (NGEC
10/02/2011
Forfar-based FMS Construction has formed a division specifically to deal with enquiries for steel structures. A dedicated team can design and construct steel buildings for use in agricultural, commercial, leisure and retail applications. FMS has in-house design facilities to offer a planning and bu
10/02/2011
Design works for a major improvement to a key north east route was given the go-ahead today by Transport Minister Keith Brown. The necessary preparatory work will identify the preferred design solutions for the complex task of removing the current traffic bottleneck at the A96 Inveramsay Bridge to
10/02/2011
National law firm, HBJ Gateley Wareing, has acted on behalf of Hillcrest Housing Association Limited in its acquisition of the prestigious development site at Quartermile in Edinburgh. The firm advised on the legal structure, and provided all the contract and property advice to Hillcrest with cons
10/02/2011
A unique joint venture between a private developer and a community-owned development trust, was yesterday given the go-ahead by East Renfrewshire Council. The model represents one that could benefit communities across Scotland if replicated elsewhere. Neilston Community Wind Farm, a 9MW, four-turb
10/02/2011
GeoMEM, technical and engineering software specialists based near Dundee in Scotland, are pleased to announce the release of Version 10 of Surfer, the widely used, mapping, contouring and terrain modeling software package. The new release offers a full 64 bit implementation of the software to take
09/02/2011
People living in several North Lanarkshire communities will no longer be blighted by the daily traffic congestion they have endured on their doorsteps for many years. Early delivery of the Moodiesburn Bypass, a key section of the M80 Stepps to Haggs project, will reduce traffic through the villages
09/02/2011
A regional centre for gymnastics could be based in Dundee, the city council's leisure, arts and communities committee will hear on Monday (February 14). Councillors will consider a report detailing proposals for a £1.8 million transformation of the current Dick McTaggart Sports Centre. The centre
09/02/2011
Rents of Angus Council houses are to rise by 4.8%, following a consultation process with tenants’ groups throughout the county. The council’s Neighbourhood Services committee agreed to the rise today, Tuesday 8 February, and also heard that 100 new houses are to be built in Angus. The rise, which
09/02/2011
Work on Glasgow's new Southern General Hospital took a significant step forward today with the completion of building work on the new lab facility. Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon marked the occasion by performing a 'topping out' ceremony at the site. Covering approximat
09/02/2011
Core Structures Ltd has announced that it has secured another project at The Phoenix Community Centre, Camphill, Aberdeen, in agreement with Robertson Eastern. The £68,000.00 contract will see the supply and erection of a timber Glulam Structure by Core Structures Ltd. This was delivered on site
09/02/2011
The A. Proctor Group have announced the launch of Dynamic Insulation. Developed by Energyflo Construction Technologies Ltd, Jablite Dynamic Frame Insulation is an active insulation product and is used in place of traditional static insulation. By using heat energy that is normally lost through the
08/02/2011
Construction of the Borders Railway is moving a step forward this week with the start of ground and structural investigations. Contractor Soil Mechanics has been appointed by Scottish Borders Council on behalf of Transport Scotland to undertake additional ground and structural investigation for the
08/02/2011
£1million-plus windfall for Aberdeenshire communities as Burcote Wind announces plans for wind farm near Huntly. Local communities could benefit from a £1million-plus windfall as part of plans for a six-turbine wind farm near Huntly, Aberdeenshire. Dunfermline-based developers Burcote Wind said th
08/02/2011
One of Glasgow’s most iconic buildings has been given a new lease of life following a major £1.1 million revamp by workplace design experts Space Solutions. The St Andrew’s First Aid national headquarters, in Glasgow’s Milton Street, has been extensively refurbished over the past six months to mod
08/02/2011
The ScottishPower Energy People Trust is saying a fond farewell to long standing chairman Hammy Smillie and welcoming incoming chairman Norman Kerr. Hammy has been chair of the Trust, which funds not-for-profit groups that help people whose lives are affected by fuel poverty, since its inception i
08/02/2011
A North-east manufacturing company has marked the official opening of its purpose designed headquarters. Ellon-based LFH Engineering welcomed Gordon MSP, Alex Salmond, Scotland’s first minister, to the facility to see firsthand how the firm has developed since setting up almost a year ago. During
08/02/2011
There's a major event on the way to highlight the benefits of total construction in natural stone. According to organisers, Kirk Natural Stone Developments, there is a common perception that the use of natural stone for entire buildings is cost prohibitive, therefore usage is often restricted to f
07/02/2011
Specialist Contractors continue to face difficult trading conditions according to the latest NSCC State of Trade Survey. The results for the fourth quarter of 2010 show that the market remains unstable and, with only 29% of respondents reporting an increase in enquiries and 33% an increase in orde
07/02/2011
A housing investment programme worth over £3.9 million for the Levenmouth area was approved by councillors at a meeting of the Levenmouth Area Committee on Wednesday 2 February. Over the course of the next year (Apr 2011 - Mar 2012), the significant investment will be spent on upgrading roofs, roug
07/02/2011
Sports minister Shona Robison has helped start work at the site of Dundee's new swimming pool. In a Dundee City Council project costing nearly £31.5 million, the new leisure facility will include an adaptable 50m competition pool, a wave pool, rapid river, dive pool, flumes and a fitness suite. Th
07/02/2011
Councils will be given new powers to increase council tax on Scotland's 25,000 long term empty homes raising up to £130 million over four years to build low cost homes, it was announced today. The changes are expected to deliver around 800 homes annually and support 1,500 jobs in the construction s
07/02/2011
The City of Edinburgh Council’s Housing Leader Councillor Paul Edie has welcomed the Scottish Government’s policy paper 'Housing Fit for The 21st Century today'. Cllr Edie said: “The paper sets out many of the innovative proposals which we have already been developing in partnership with the Scotti
07/02/2011
Construction workloads fell during the last quarter of 2010, as government spending cuts and a lack of commercial finance took their toll on the industry, says the latest RICS Construction Market Survey. Five per cent more surveyors reported total construction workloads fell rather than rose in Q4
04/02/2011
The Findon Hall committee in Culbokie are pleased to announce that planning permission and a building warrant to install a biomass heating system have now been granted and work on the project is due to start shortly. Phase1 of the improvement work at the hall was carried out in August 2009 and incl
04/02/2011
Construction work has begun at the former site of Marchburn School as Aberdeen's new build council house programme continues at a pace. The demolition of Marchburn School took place last year to pave the way for the council to continue with phase two of its new-build housing programme. Robertson,
04/02/2011
The City of Edinburgh Council is carrying out an online survey on affordable housing needs in the Capital. The results will help shape the Council’s future housing policy and all Edinburgh residents can take part in the survey which runs until 28 February. Housing leader, Councillor Paul Edie, sai
04/02/2011
More vulnerable households in Scotland are to get help to heat their home, Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil said today. Regulations laid before Parliament today will, if approved, allow up to 48,000 people with severe disabilities to access a range of free help from the Scottish Governmen
04/02/2011
Shelter Scotland has welcomed the focus on innovation and value-for-money and calls on the Scottish Government to pay special attention to empty homes. Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, the housing and homelessness charity, said: "Some of the £10 million earmarked for innovation would be
04/02/2011
A new £50 million fund will be used to finance new affordable housing developments across the country, Housing Minister Alex Neil revealed today. The majority of the funding included in the Draft Scottish budget is intended for social rented housing. The Scottish Government is reforming the way fu
04/02/2011
A Government-funded scheme enables homeowners to insulate homes in an effort to save on energy and heating bills. The Superdad loft insulation promotion enables homeowners to save money, reduce heating bills and increase comfort in the home. Installing loft insulation is one of the most effective
03/02/2011
Architects and designers from across Scotland are being asked to showcase the best re-use of a listed building at the Scottish Design Awards. Nominations are open until Friday 11th February for this year's awards which highlight some of the best design work being carried out in Scotland. The Best
03/02/2011
Balfour Beatty Engineering Services, Scotland West office has been awarded the mechanical and electrical services contract for Strathclyde Fire and Rescue’s new training facility, which is being constructed in Glasgow. The new base at Cambuslang will bring training together on one site, including a
03/02/2011
The £170m Fife General Hospitals and Maternity Services PPP project for NHS Fife is progressing well. A joint venture of Balfour Beatty Engineering Services (BBES) and Balfour Beatty Construction is responsible for the construction of the project. This healthcare contract is one of the largest p
03/02/2011
A leading Scottish technology firm has celebrated a major landmark after recording £1 million worth of sales of its safety devices to UK hire companies. Edinburgh-based Reactec has seen a dramatic increase in the number of sales for its innovative HAVmeters over the past 12 months, as more hire com
03/02/2011
Transport Minister Keith Brown today saw at first hand the finishing touches being made ahead of the opening of a key section of the new M80 next week. The Minister visited the almost 5 mile (8km) section of the new road between Stepps and Mollinsburn and announced that the road will open, initiall
03/02/2011
Shelter Scotland has called for a reform of the private rented sector. Gordon MacRae, Head of Communications and Policy at Shelter Scotland, the housing and homelessness charity, said: “If 35% of under-35 year-olds are to be reliant on private landlords for a home by 2014, it is absolutely vital th
02/02/2011
Knight Frank’s building consultancy team has completed Maersk Training’s first UK offshore training centre in Aberdeen. The new centre has been created following the redevelopment of an existing facility at Badentoy Industrial Estate, Portlethan into a bespoke 14,000 sq ft facility with ancillary e
02/02/2011
The Scottish Building Federation has this week launched a major health, wellbeing and safety campaign in the run-up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Government, the building industry, its clients, and the public at large must work together to improve awareness of health, wellbeing and sa
02/02/2011
Glasgow’s residential property letting market has got the year off to a flying start if the record-breaking number of properties let by Cairn Estate and Letting Agency are anything to go by. That’s because Cairn has more than quadrupled the number of properties it let this January than it let a year
02/02/2011
Shepherd Chartered Surveyors, one of the largest independent firms of chartered surveyors in the UK, has opened a new Glasgow South residential office in Shawlands as its programme of investment in the expansion of its branch network throughout Scotland continues apace. Headed up by Martin Waite, t
02/02/2011
Leading specialist timber supplier Russwood Ltd is investing £150,000 in a new state of the art painting facility with additional funding of up to £37,908 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Employing 32 staff, Russwood supplies high quality sawn timber, decking, flooring and cladding nat
02/02/2011
The Social Housing and Regeneration Team of leading national law firm, HBJ Gateley Wareing, will be hosting its next quarterly seminar on Thursday 17th February, dealing with the topical issue of the regeneration, refurbishment and repair of mixed tenure housing stock. Almost all Registered Social
01/02/2011
Scottish builders have received a major boost with work now underway on a new £31.5m swimming pool complex in Dundee. The leisure facility will include a 50m competition pool, a wave pool, rapid river, dive pool, flumes and a fitness suite. The Dundee City Council project, which has been backed by
01/02/2011
The Wester Ross community of Kinlochewe is set to benefit from a major investment planned by Scottish Water. A new drinking water production plant is being designed to ensure a high standard of supply is maintained for customers in the area. The work will require a planning application to be submit
01/02/2011
Work is about to start on transforming the site of the former Salvation Army Hall at North High Street, Musselburgh, into new Council homes. A contract has been awarded to EF Hendrie Property Construction to build seven one-bedroom and two two-bedroom flats on the site at 225 North High Street. Co
01/02/2011
International property consultancy King Sturge has recently appointed Mungo Ingleby MRICS to boost its Scottish agency team. Mungo (30) has worked in agency for the last four years at Ryden and has a broad range of experience and knowledge. He will be based in Edinburgh and work alongside John
01/02/2011
Aberdeenshire Council is organising two open days for residents of the Bervie Braes, Stonehaven, as a £3million project to stabilise the slopes moves forward. The information days are due to take place at the Invercarron Resource Centre, Stonehaven, on Saturday, February 5, and Sunday February 6.
01/02/2011
East Dunbartonshire Council’s Property Maintenance team received the thumbs up from the Scottish Housing Regulator recently. The Regulator acknowledged the Council had taken steps to address issues previously set out in the Council’s Repairs Improvement Plan. Development & Infrastructure Convener
