Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Scotland Construction News Archive for September 2010
30/09/2010
Over the next five years Scottish Borders Housing Association will be investing over £30 million to bring Tenants’ homes up to Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Improvements to be funded include: * An 18 month programme of improvements in the smaller, rural towns and villages; * Investme
30/09/2010
ScottishPower has published ‘The Stirling Visual Impact Mitigation Scheme Consultation Report’, outlining its visual and landscape mitigation proposals for a 14km section of the consented Beauly to Denny overhead transmission line. In total, ScottishPower is constructing 20km of the 220km Beauly to
30/09/2010
Statistics published today show that a total of 303 schools have been substantially rebuilt or refurbished since April 2007, exceeding the Scottish Government's target of 250. The figures also show that 82 per cent of Scottish school children are now being taught in good quality buildings, up from
30/09/2010
Fidelity’s UK Real Estate Fund, advised by King Sturge, has acquired Hamilton Palace Retail Park in Hamilton from a private investor for £17.4million. Hamilton Palace is a retail and leisure scheme adjacent to the town centre incorporating Class 1 retail warehousing, restaurants and a cinema and ex
30/09/2010
The construction of eight new one-bedroom council flats has been completed at Middleshot Square in Prestonpans. Construction started at Middleshot Square in February 2010. Ogilvie Construction Ltd officially handed over completion papers and keys to the council on the £900,000 development. The Pre
30/09/2010
Further advance work begins this week at a number of sites along the Gala Water to support the delivery of Borders Railway. Work will be carried out at Shoestanes and Burnhouse – where the railway will run adjacent to the Gala Water to protect and maintain the existing railway embankment by placing
29/09/2010
An £84 million investment in Edinburgh's waterfront is to be progressed using a new method of public financing. The project has the potential to unlock £660 million of private investment and create up to 4,900 jobs. Finance Secretary John Swinney has backed the City of Edinburgh Council's proposal
29/09/2010
Works on the Pulpit Rock section of the A82 took a major step forward this week. Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson announced that Transport Scotland had published draft road orders for work on the A82 at Pulpit Rock to finally remove the traffic signals and upgrade the section of road to re-intr
29/09/2010
The privately held Ingenium Group announced today that it has purchased the majority of the UK business and assets from the administrators of Archial Group PLC, Archial Holdings Ltd, Archial Architects Ltd, Archial Resources Ltd and Alsop Sparch Ltd. One of the UK’s leading practices, Archial is an
29/09/2010
A £2.5 million town regeneration project which includes a training promise has been launched. The Dalkeith Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) and Conservation Area Partnership Scheme (CARS) is aimed at regenerating and enhancing the historic town centre. The objective being to aim grant and fundi
29/09/2010
Financial help in preparing renewables projects at the pre-planning stage could boost the potential benefits to communities from green energy production, Ministers said today. Addressing the Scottish Low Carbon Investment Conference in Edinburgh, Richard Lochhead Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs
29/09/2010
Kirk Natural Stone Developments in Turrif, Aberdeenshire, have just completed their first renovation project. Auchry Cottage was built at the beginning of the last century as a workers cottage for Auchry Farm. Very little work had been carried out internally since the 1950’s. The aim was to use th
28/09/2010
Kirkintilloch’s Auld Kirk Museum has been given a facelift to the tune of £165,000. Landscaping works recently completed at the entrance to the Cowgate venue include the installation of high-quality natural stone paving, feature lighting, Antonine Wall marker stone, and the planting/refurbishment o
28/09/2010
A crofting village of only 29 people in the Uig area on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis has taken its first steps towards a community land buyout bid. Urras Mhangurstaigh was formed to promote a buyout of the village of Mangersta and its common grazings, extending to 9,000 acres. At present the
28/09/2010
Scotland will be producing renewable electricity in volumes equivalent to its entire demand by 2025, First Minister Alex Salmond forecast, ahead of his address to an international conference aimed at accelerating private finance investment in low carbon projects. The First Minister, who opens the S
28/09/2010
New ways of tackling potholes in Dundee have resulted in more than twice as many repairs being made last year compared with the previous 12 months. Councillors were told on Monday that 12,954 potholes were repaired in 2009/10, 6678 more than in 2008/09. Will Dawson, convener of the city developmen
28/09/2010
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) gave its backing to Scotland’s vibrant arts and cultural sector by announcing a grant of £1/2 million to help secure the future of Perth Theatre, one of Scotland’s oldest theatres. Perth theatre is where Ewan McGregor and Donald Sutherland learned their craft. HLF a
28/09/2010
An exhibition of models and design concepts for the V&A at Dundee will be held at the University of Abertay Dundee from September 29th. The `V&A at Dundee - Making it Happen’ exhibition will feature work from the six shortlisted teams of world-class architects and designers who have put forward out
27/09/2010
Council houses are to be built in Clackmannanshire for the first time in over 25 years. £2.3 million project will see 24 new houses being built in Tullibody and Alva. This funding includes a contribution of £600,000 from the Scottish Government. Council leader Sam Ovens said: "Clackmannanshire Cou
27/09/2010
New plans to redevelop the town centre in Nairn are being presented to the local community. Over the last month, The Highland Council has been preparing a draft development brief to outline development options for the area now that expansion of the Co-op store in the town centre will no longer go a
27/09/2010
Despite the challenging economic climate, Aberdeenshire Council will consider plans for a £391million building programme at a special meeting of the council’s Policy and Resources Committee this week. The meeting follows a detailed review of the authority’s Corporate Asset Management Plan and Capit
27/09/2010
A small Scottish wind developer today announced it has secured a £50 million investment deal that will allow them to advance dozens of small-scale wind projects around Scotland. The news comes as major financiers from around the world gather in Edinburgh for a two-day conference in financing low-ca
27/09/2010
Aberdeen office fit-out specialists Accommodation Services Management (ASM) have reached the finals of a recent prestigious business award. Completing a hat-trick of finalist’s places, the Bridge of Don-based company was short-listed in the socially responsible company category of the 2010 Northern
27/09/2010
A new skate park could be coming to Sauchie and Clackmannanshire Council wants to hear your views. The Council has organised a drop-in consultation event which will be held at Sauchie Hall on Monday 4th October from 3pm - 7pm. The proposal for a new skate park has come about following the new hous
24/09/2010
A funding initiative expected to generate £130 million and provide 1000 new homes for rent across Scotland moved a step closer today. Under the National Housing Trust (NHT), spearheaded by the Scottish Government and Scottish Futures Trust, developers have been invited to participate in a scheme th
24/09/2010
A brand new and innovative approach to getting the best from Scotland's land was proposed today. Richard Lochhead launched a consultation on a strategy which sets out, for the first time, a high-level, long-term agenda for sustainable land use across Scotland. The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affai
24/09/2010
The Scottish property market is levelling out due to a growing sense of realism among buyers and sellers, according to the Capital’s leading property solicitor. Warners believes that property prices across the country are likely to remain flat for the remainder of 2010 due to a combination of dwind
24/09/2010
Shelter Scotland has responded to the Scottish Government’s announcement of plans for 1,000 new homes for rent through the National Housing Trust. Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, the housing and homelessness charity, said: “We welcome this initiative which plans to build greatly needed
24/09/2010
Scotland's renewable electricity target for the next decade is being raised from 50 per cent to 80%, First Minister Alex Salmond has announced. Mr Salmond confirmed the Scottish Government's increased national target - now 80% of Scottish electricity consumption to come from renewables by 2020 - ah
24/09/2010
A team from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in Scotland has claimed the Silver Salver at the latest annual golf tournament against the Edinburgh Association of the Scottish Building Federation, held at the Royal Burgess Golf Club in the Barnton area of Edinburgh on Friday the 10t
23/09/2010
The Highland Council has confirmed its multi-track and flexible approach to reviving the former oil yard at Nigg, Easter Ross. Members of the Planning Environment and Development Committee were told on Wednesday of private interest in purchasing the site from KBR and the Wakelyn Trust and they will
23/09/2010
There are only seven weeks left for the public to have their say on the Stage Two report of the National Renewables Infrastructure Plan (N-RIP) and the accompanying Environmental Report and four Appendices. The N-RIP report has been published by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish
23/09/2010
A spectacular 33ft steel structure is set to transform the image of Cumbernauld. Arria was designed by artist Andy Scott and features two huge swooping arcs inspired by the Gaelic name for Cumbernauld, "comar nan allt", which means "coming together of waters". The £250,000 sculpture was commission
23/09/2010
The buildings standards team within The Highland Council’s Planning and Development Service has been highly commended for the way it has significantly improved the service it provides to customers. The team received the praise of the Planning Environment and Development (PED) Committee for the outc
23/09/2010
Aberdeen City Council has graduated from the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme, with a commitment to reduce its carbon emissions. The council is one of four Aberdeen-based organisations to graduate from the scheme this year. The others are the University of Aberdeen, the Scottish Agricultu
23/09/2010
The GalGael Trust have just completed a commission to fabricate a life size crucifix for Cardinal Newman High School in Bellshill, Glasgow. The sculpture was designed by the schools art department and inspired by the work of French post-impressionist Matisse. The design was fabricated in stainless
22/09/2010
A leading builder, Barr Construction, is well on the way to completing three new Scottish supermarkets for Tesco. The triple deal, part of a series of contracts, is worth more than £13 million. All three supermarkets are expected to be completed in November. The new stores are in Lesmahagow, Sout
22/09/2010
A £5.5m construction contract to improve the safety and efficiency of a key route linking the west coast ports to the rest of Scotland has been announced by Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson. The scheme will provide dedicated safe overtaking opportunities in both directions for nearly 2 miles (1
22/09/2010
Planning Aid for Scotland (PAS) has welcomed the addition of a new board member following the AGM last week. Charlie Woods is an economic development consultant and Associate of Core Solutions, specialists in mediation. Charlie Woods said: “I'm delighted to have been elected to the Board of Planni
22/09/2010
Scotland’s seas have been further opened up for wave and tidal energy development to support the £10m Saltire Prize. The Crown Estate is running a new leasing round for projects up to 30 Megawatts (MW) capacity to support developers hoping to win the Saltire Prize. Marine Scotland has also today p
22/09/2010
Two of Scotland’s competing natural bodybuilders are behind a gym which opens on Monday in Arbroath. Derek Wann, a director of Forfar-based FMS Construction, was placed fourth in the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation Scottish heat recently, which gave him an automatic invitation to the nati
22/09/2010
At its annual board meeting in Scotland, energy regulator Ofgem announced a comprehensive and open review of the charging regime and associated connection arrangements for using Britain's high voltage electricity network and high pressure gas grid. The electricity and gas grid charging regimes have
21/09/2010
A multi-million pound refurbishment of two of Edinburgh’s1960s high rise flats is due to get underway early next year. Work by the City of Edinburgh Council is expected to start on the blocks at Greendykes and Wauchope in the New Year and will be completed within five years at a total cost of £5m.
21/09/2010
A home improvement company has admitted breaking a health and safety law after a worker was seen on a house roof with nothing in place to stop him falling. Viewline Northwest Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after inspectors saw the man working on the roof of a home in Ti
21/09/2010
Delegates at TUC Congress have unanimously voted to support the Connaught workers, who are facing redundancy and an uncertain future following the collapse of their company last week. An emergency motion moved by construction union UCATT, instructed the TUC General Council to provide support for th
21/09/2010
A ground-breaking scheme that will see funds from a proposed wind farm pay for 150 apprenticeships has been agreed. It was announced as plans for the 9-turbine wind farm on a former open-cast coal mine site at Earlseat, Fife, were submitted for approval. Adam Smith College (ASC) and Carbon Free De
21/09/2010
Colin Orr MCIAT has been elected as the new President Elect of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT). Colin is a respected figure within the academic community of Architectural Technology and is course leader and senior lecturer at the University of Bolton. As an active mem
21/09/2010
New guidance to help public sector bodies meet their responsibilities under the Climate Change Act has been published. Public bodies are invited to give their views on the guidance, which encourages them to set their own emissions targets and make tackling climate change a priority. Climate Change
20/09/2010
The leader of Glasgow City Council has officially unveiled a monument to Glasgow’s merchants and trades on a newly refurbished street in the heart of the Merchant City. Councillor Gordon Matheson showed off the facelift of Hutcheson Street and Garth Street - the latest upgrades of streets in the Me
20/09/2010
Two Edinburgh city centre streets are closed while an elevator is delivered and installed in a Union Street building. Crown Street is closed from its junction with Union Street to its junction with Langstane Place, while South Silver Street is closed from its junction with Union Street to its junct
20/09/2010
Young people in Glenrothes can look forward to enjoying the use of a new skate park in the town’s Riverside Park. Councillors of the Glenrothes Area Committee have approved the planning application by Fife Council for the 1200 sq m concrete skate park, which will be fully enclosed and floodlit. Th
20/09/2010
Law firm McGrigors and property consultants Ryden have announced that Angus Donaldson, Director of Estates at the University of Aberdeen, will be the guest speaker at their fourth Young Professionals in Property event, taking place this month. Angus will present on a variety of property and estate
20/09/2010
The Small Business Bonus Scheme delivered average savings of more than £1,400 for companies in Scotland last year, new figures have revealed. In Aberdeen, East Dunbartonshire, Edinburgh, Inverclyde and South Lanarkshire small companies benefiting from the scheme saved more than £1,700 on average in
20/09/2010
Ken’s Yard, a new Scottish e-commerce company set up by experienced traders and merchants in timber and building supplies and Ken McLelland former Regional Director of Buildbase, offers an alternative to the traditional builder’s merchant, the local builder’s merchant online for the whole of UK. K
17/09/2010
Two public meetings to let local people in Ardrossan hear about ambitious plans to extend the town’s marina have been hailed as a success. Irvine Bay Regeneration Company were “delighted” that more than 100 people turned out for the lunchtime and early evening meetings at the Michael Lynch Centre t
17/09/2010
Unemployed teenagers in Glasgow are now branching out in a more positive direction thanks to a local Tree Surgeon company. Jordan Picken (18) left school with no qualifications and his future looked uncertain. But thanks to the joint efforts of local employer Jim Casey, and the Local Regeneration
17/09/2010
Stirling Council's Beauly to Denny Power Line Steering Group is preparing for the publication of Scottish Power Transmission's Stirling Visual Mitigation Scheme at the end of September. The Steering Group called for effective and inclusive consultation by Scottish Power, and is proposing that four
17/09/2010
Responding to Housing Minister Alex Neil’s warning that the social housing sector “must prepare for the storm ahead”, Jonathan Fair, Chief Executive of industry body Homes for Scotland, called for house building to become a national priority. He said: “There can be no doubt about the severe impact
17/09/2010
A new financial climate means that 'sweeping changes' are required to shape future housing policy in Scotland, Housing Minister Alex Neil told MSPs yesterday. Mr Neil said that never before has there been more urgency to ensure value for money underpins the Scottish Government's future investment p
17/09/2010
Housing charity and homelessness charity Shelter Scotland is delighted that Perthshire Amber - The Dougie MacLean Festival - is repeating its Big Knit again this year. Last year people at the festival and across the globe got their knitting needles out to help raise £2000 for Shelter Scotland. Th
16/09/2010
The Highland Council has agreed to grant planning permission in principle to Inverness Estates Ltd for a mixed use development to form a major urban extension to Inverness, including a new town centre, housing and commercial uses. The permission is subject to 62 conditions and a legal agreement co
16/09/2010
More than 500 members of the public have taken the opportunity to let Perth & Kinross Council know which design they would prefer for a proposed pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Tay. For the last three weeks the Council has been inviting views on two designs created for the bridge intende
16/09/2010
Transport Scotland is to extend two of its trunk road contracts bringing increasing savings to the public purse. The current contracts for the North West and South West Units, managed by Scotland Transerv and Amey respectively, will be extended from 31 March 2011 to 31 May 2012. At the same time,
16/09/2010
Arnothill Conservation area in Falkirk is set to be extended to include Dollar Park and an area to the north of Camelon Road, following a recent consultation exercise. Members of Falkirk Council's Leisure, Tourism and Community committee also backed plans to rename the area as the Arnothill and Dol
16/09/2010
The communities of Linwood, Johnstone and Paisley are being invited to have their say on new multi-million pound community and sports facilities in their areas. Consultation evenings have been scheduled so that people can view and discuss details and illustrations on Renfrewshire Council’s proposal
16/09/2010
National law firm HBJ Gateley Wareing’s social housing and regeneration department has maintained the top Tier 1 position in this year’s Legal 500, the respected UK legal directory. The ten strong team, headed up by Heather Pearson, a partner with the firm for over 15 years, has worked on a number
15/09/2010
Midlothian Council has given the go-ahead for a development at Straiton Retail Park. Permission was granted for applicants to progress with the development of either a department store or three retail units together with a low level multi-storey car park at the north corner of Straiton Retail Park
15/09/2010
A new Eastwood High School has taken a step forward. Design team, BDP, has held consultation events and focus groups with the school, pupils and members of the community. And they’ve presented outline plans for the new school which is being developed as a joint project with Midlothian council to b
15/09/2010
Tuesday may have been a dull day but the outlook was bright when East Lothian Council officially took possession of 14 new council homes in Tranent. In just nine months, Balfour Square has been transformed from a small grassy area to a high quality development that combines one-bedroom flats, two-
15/09/2010
Lovell has been chosen to build ten new energy-efficient homes at Penicuik in Midlothian for Melville Housing Association. The £772,000 development at Cuiken Terrace will create eight two-bedroom flats and two one-bedroom flats, built in two blocks, which will all be for rent through the housing as
15/09/2010
The historic Bridge of Keig, near Alford, will re-open this weekend following the completion of major strengthening and repair works to the structure. The bridge will open on Saturday, September 18 after work to reinforce the internal structure and external repairs to the walls and road surface ha
15/09/2010
A construction contract worth over £10 million to extend a section of dual carriageway on a lifeline road for the north of Scotland, is set to go ahead with the appointment of a contractor. Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson announced that John Paul Construction will build the Transport Scotland
14/09/2010
Thousands of households across Scotland will be offered loft and cavity wall insulation to help lower fuel bills and prepare for winter, the Scottish Government announced today. Nineteen local authorities across Scotland will benefit with around 200,000 households due to be contacted over the next
14/09/2010
Scottish Renewables are welcoming nominations for the coveted Green Energy Awards which will be held at Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre in December. The awards, sponsored by RWE npower renewables, recognise the most innovative and exciting renewable energy businesses and projects in Sco
14/09/2010
Four tenderers, comprising seven major construction firms, are set to compete for the contract to upgrade M9 Junction 1a - a vital element of the Forth Replacement Crossing (FRC) scheme. They comprise Morrison Construction and joint ventures from Balfour Beatty and Morgan Sindall; John Sisk & Son
14/09/2010
A Scottish led EU partnership looking to increase onshore and offshore wind development was launched by Energy Minister Jim Mather today. The Good Practice Wind Project aims to help the EU achieve its 2020 carbon reduction targets by increasing consenting rates for on and offshore wind projects ac
14/09/2010
Crofters will enjoy a brighter, safer future following the passage of the Crofting Reform Act 2010 through Parliament earlier this year. Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham said that the legislation, which gained Royal Assent this summer, has safeguarded this unique way of life for future g
14/09/2010
Robert M Buchan, the Canada-based Scottish mining entrepreneur, philanthropist and Heriot-Watt graduate, is donating £1.3m to the University to establish a new Chair in Sustainable Energy Engineering. This is the largest ever donation by an individual to the University, and one of the largest dona
13/09/2010
Glasgow City Council has approved the City Legacy Consortium’s planning application for the first phase of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village. At meeting of the council on Thursday members passed plans to build 700 homes which will be used by athletes during the Games before bei
13/09/2010
East Lothian Council, working in conjunction with the Coastal Museum working party, has finalised plans for a new coastal museum based in North Berwick. The plans are for the former school in the town and includes upgrading the library, based on the ground floor, re-opening a museum facility on th
13/09/2010
Work on realigning the on/off ramps at the Tay Road Bridge is ahead of schedule with a new junction coming into operation weeks before it was due. The new junction, at the foot of the widened off ramp adjacent to Tayside House, will allow drivers to turn right as well as left after a gap was create
13/09/2010
Plans for a recycling centre in Aberdeen have been given the green light. Aberdeen City Council's Housing and Environment Committee agreed at its meeting on 13 April that the north-west corner of the Grove Nursery site at Hazlehead was the most suitable site for a new recycling centre in the west o
13/09/2010
Morgan Sindall Group, the construction and regeneration group, and affordable housing provider Lovell, have reached an agreement to acquire the majority of the ongoing contracts and their related assets of the social housing division of Connaught. Construction firm Connaught, which entered administ
13/09/2010
A hydro scheme near Ardross in Ross-shire that will power over 4,000 homes has been approved by Ministers. The 7.5 Megawatt (MW) Kildermorie scheme is the largest new hydro power scheme for five years in Scotland. There will be up to 80 new jobs during construction and income from the scheme will
10/09/2010
A £2000 incentive for employers to 'adopt' an apprentice made redundant due to the economic climate has kept 600 young people in work over the past year. Skills Minister Keith Brown will meet Ian Ramsey today, a young apprentice who was made redundant and 'adopted' through the Scottish Government's
10/09/2010
Shelter Scotland is calling on the Scottish Government to support the building of more affordable homes in Lochaber. This plea is being made in partnership with The Highland Council and Lochaber Housing Association. The organisations will be campaigning together all day in Cameron Square for loca
10/09/2010
The Ochils Landscape Partnership is celebrating an award of £631,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The windfall means the £2.26 million scheme - which includes 22 individual projects - can now move into a three year implementation phase. The scheme will conserve the area's built, social and natur
10/09/2010
A district heating system which provides low carbon and affordable warmth to local residents and businesses is to be installed in the 1,000th home in Aberdeen. John McConnachie.The Lord Provost of Aberdeen Peter Stephen and Michael King, chairman of Aberdeen Heat & Power visited the home of residen
10/09/2010
Scottish property consultants, CKD Galbraith has announced the expansion of its residential sales team within the well established Ayr office, following the recent amalgamation of Donalds Chartered Surveyors. The firm has appointed Robert Taylor, an experienced professional who for the last four ye
10/09/2010
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead met yesterday with the Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore, to discuss the accountability of the Crown Estate Commissioners in Scotland. Mr Lochhead said: “I had a constructive meeting with the Secretary of State f
09/09/2010
A company was fined a total of £14,000 after a night watchman was injured falling into water from the quayside. The company director has today been fined a total of £2,750 for failing to carry out a risk assessment. RM Supplies (Inverkeithing) Ltd had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to breachi
09/09/2010
A record-breaking Aberdeenshire engineering company has announced £150,000 plans to open a base in America. Findon-based AMC Engineering Ltd will relocate a senior member of staff to head up the opening of the office in Houston, Texas in a move which is expected to create up to ten jobs on both sid
09/09/2010
Plans to improve the development of renewables in Scotland were unveiled by Energy Minister Jim Mather today. Two separate consultations have been published, one proposing the combination of capital grants plus Renewable Obligation Certificates for wave and tidal stream projects, and the other shi
09/09/2010
Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil today gave notice to Scotland's housing associations that the UK Government's planned cut in public spending is bound to impact on the level of investment in social housing in Scotland. He warned that the status quo is not an option and that housing associ
09/09/2010
Planning Aid for Scotland (PAS), has announced details of the seventeenth AGM next week in Edinburgh, which is open to anyone. The evening will provide an excellent opportunity to update people on the last year and hear about exciting plans for the future. Antonia Swinson, Chief Executive of the Sc
09/09/2010
Shelter Scotland, the housing and homelessness charity, is calling on people across the country to get down to their nearest John Lewis store and purchase an exclusive ELLE Deco limited edition designer mug. This fabulous range of limited edition mugs, is featured in the September issue of ELLE Dec
08/09/2010
Construction union UCATT are calling for an urgent rethink of how council services are delivered following reports that Connaught, one of the leading local government outsourcing companies, are on the point of administration. Connaught which employs 10,000 workers has been experiencing financial pr
08/09/2010
The dynamic plans to revitalise Falkirk town centre have been awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £50,000. The project by Falkirk Council centres on the historic Falkirk Old and St Modan's Parish where, with the help of the Scottish Government's Town Centres Regeneration Funds, the aim is to e
08/09/2010
A new respite centre in Argyll and Bute for children with a disability will officially open this week. Ardlui House, in the grounds of Parklands School in Helensburgh, will provide high quality care for children from across Argyll and Bute – meaning they will no longer have to travel to other parts
08/09/2010
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), has signed a new five-year lease on the 1,242 sq ft of joint office and research space it occupies at Discovery Terrace, Heriot-Watt Research Park in Edinburgh. The terms equate to £ 13.50 per sq ft. RoSPA was the first occupier at Discov
08/09/2010
A total of 63 properties in Bo'ness and Falkirk are set to see improvement works carried out at a cost of around £1.3m with work starting later this month, a meeting of Falkirk Council's Policy and Resources Committee heard. In Bo'ness, 28 properties in Corbiehall known locally as ‘The Coffin Block
08/09/2010
BRE has been appointed lead partner in a £3m Energy Technologies Institute consortium project which aims to develop ways to improve the energy efficiency of most of the 26 million UK homes that will still be in existence in 2050. With housing being the single largest component of the UK’s carbon e
07/09/2010
A croft, castle and salmon bothy received distinction awards at the Design Awards courtesy of Aberdeenshire Council at Haddo House on Thursday, September 2. The biennial event promotes good design and celebrates the work of architects, builders, artists and other professionals in producing designs
07/09/2010
A major building project to upgrade the Assisted Conception Unit (ACU) at Ninewells Hospital has begun as NHS Tayside Chairman Sandy Watson cut the first sod to officially mark the start of construction. The first stage of work on the new £3.8m ACU will see the construction of a new extension befor
07/09/2010
The UK construction industry is heading for a double dip recession, according to the latest Construction Products Association’s industry forecasts. They predict that construction will be the first major industry sector to fall back into recession following a temporary recovery in the first six mon
07/09/2010
Aberdeen City Council has joined a planning scheme to improve and speed up the process of dealing with certain types of applications affecting category B-listed buildings. This is part of a range of reforms aimed at strengthening the partnership between Historic Scotland and local authorities acro
07/09/2010
Local residents are being invited to a special dedication ceremony for the Sanctuary at the New Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow. The Sanctuary is yet one more feature of the multi-award winning hospital which has, since opening its doors to patients last summer, won seven prestigious international desig
07/09/2010
One of Aberdeen’s oldest legal firms has announced two more appointments to its growing team. Key Moves, the estate agency division of Wilsone & Duffus, has recently appointed a new partner Neil Pithie to head up the firm’s Dyce office. A graduate of Aberdeen University, Neil brings to the busine
06/09/2010
An additional funding commitment of up to £1.084 million from the Scottish Government has ensured the new museum telling the story of Scotland's national bard will be completed later this year. The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway will be a world-class visitor attraction featuring an innov
06/09/2010
Research by independent firm Ipsos MORI has shown that people rate Alloa as a better place to visit thanks to the Imagine Alloa project. The project, which saw Clackmannanshire Council, Alloa Town Centre BID and Clackmannanshire Alliance successfully apply for £2 million of government funding, aime
06/09/2010
A project has been launched encouraging Scottish companies to go nuclear in a bid to win new contracts. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Enterprise are looking for businesses with the potential to target lucrative decommissioning work. The agencies want to raise awareness of the
06/09/2010
A world-leading research facility is looking back up to 50,000 years to see how former climatic conditions can help inform today's work to combat climate change. The radiocarbon dating laboratory in East Kilbride provides a unique glimpse into the past and contributes to a better understanding of h
06/09/2010
A courtyard celebrating Scotland's rich literary heritage welcomed its newest inscription over the weekend. Makars' Court, which lies adjacent to the Writers' Museum, takes its name from the Scots word for a poet and is an evolving national literary monument. The Court already boasts stones bearin
06/09/2010
Eco housing for the 21st century and beyond has just been unveiled in the Aberdeenshire village of Kemnay. Cairn View is a development of 54 two, three, four and five bedroom detached and linked “EcoSmart” luxury houses by Huntly-based Deveron Homes with prices ranging from £215,950 to £429,950 – a
03/09/2010
Speaking at a gathering of over a hundred and thirty key figures involved in residential development and its supply chain, the Chief Executive of industry body Homes for Scotland warned that the “jury is still out” on the impact of three important issues which are fundamental to the sector’s recover
03/09/2010
Mansell has been awarded a £11.5 million contract to design and build a host of commercial buildings across two sites in Scotland for Huntaven Properties. A three-storey office extension, workshop and new car park will be constructed at the Badentoy site. At Fordoun a new machine-shop and separate
03/09/2010
A consultation has been launched about a Scottish Social Housing Charter, it was announced today. The new legislation proposed in the Housing Bill, currently being considered by the Scottish Parliament includes powers to modernise the regulation of social housing; creating an independent Scottish H
03/09/2010
A major redevelopment of Aberdeen Maritime Museum's Energy Exploration galleries is to go ahead after Oil & Gas UK members raised the minimum £360,000 required for the project. The project aims to provide a one-stop shop for people who want to explore the history of the exciting industry and it cou
03/09/2010
Contract wins worth around £1.5 million have just been announced by Cammach Group, the specialist refrigeration and HVAC company. These complement earlier awards bringing the total engineering contract award for 2010 to £4million. And with the latest client list including oil and gas majors such
03/09/2010
G.HEAT, Glasgow Home Energy Advice Team, is helping to change the lives of families and households in Glasgow with assistance from The ScottishPower Energy People Trust. The project, managed by the Wise Group, with funding from The ScottishPower Energy People Trust and working in partnership with G
02/09/2010
A Troon sawmilling firm has been fined a total of £28,000 after two of its employees were severely injured in separate incidents less than three months apart. On 28 May 2007, John Wilson, 55, of Dalmellington, Ayrshire, was working for Adam Wilson and Sons in Troon, Ayrshire, when he fell through a
02/09/2010
Morgan Sindall has won a £20 million scheme to create a manufacturing facility for Aggreko, at Lomondgate in Dunbartonshire. Morgan Sindall will create up to 200 jobs during the construction which will see Aggreko re-locate its existing facility to the new single-storey building, covering 160,000f
02/09/2010
House prices in Scotland will continue to grow across all property types in the long-term, according to Edinburgh’s leading property solicitor. Reacting to today’s Bank of Scotland Property Type Review - which revealed that bungalows have increased in value more than any other property type over th
02/09/2010
In celebration of the success of Greenlaw Village, a new £30m retail parade and neighbourhood centre, local business leaders held a Topping Out Ceremony at the site located off Crookfur Road in the heart of Newton Mearns. Developer Bryan Wilson of Gleniffer Estates was joined by Councillor Tony Buc
02/09/2010
SHARE – the organisation responsible for training housing associations in Scotland - has enlisted the help of social media experts NSDesign for a new training programme. The organisation, which is based in Glasgow, has over 80 members from different housing associations around west central Scotland
02/09/2010
Head of Facilities Management has been appointed to Clackmannanshire Council. This new post has been filled by Stephen Crawford, who joins Clackmannanshire from Midlothian Council. Stephen, who lives in Kinross, heads up the service which includes property, asset management, design, catering, clea
01/09/2010
Argyll and Bute Council has decided not to part-fund a yacht berthing facility in Oban Bay. The decision was made following the conclusion of a second report into the proposed facility by AECOM, the independent consultancy appointed to assess the viability of the proposal. The council will now inv
01/09/2010
The application for a new gas fired power station at Cockenzie will be heard at a public inquiry. In December 2009, ScottishPower Generation Limited applied to Ministers for consent to construct and operate a 1000 Megawatt combined cycle gas turbines (CCGT) generating station. As the relevant plann
01/09/2010
The proposed contract for the repair and maintenance of the road bridge at Bridge of Dun is being deferred to avoid clashing with maintenance works on the A92 in Montrose. David May, Angus Council's Infrastructure Services Convener, said: "It is very unusual for a project to be postponed after tend
01/09/2010
New research by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that the gap between the number of professional workers and manual workers dying before they reach 65 has increased. The research means that the ConDems Government's plans to increase the retirement age to 66 by 2016 and then incr
01/09/2010
Invest in Fife achieved its target by creating over 500 jobs in the financial year 2009/10 last week’s Environment, Enterprise and Transportation Committee heard. Invest in Fife works to promote and position Fife as a first-class business and investment location and to attract investment and jobs.
01/09/2010
Updated advice that focuses on ensuring communities can effectively engage in the planning system has been published today by the Scottish Government. The document encourages engagement with communities from the earliest possible stage to enable views to be reflected in development plans and on ind
