Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Scotland Construction News Archive for September 2011
30/09/2011
The first homes have been completed at the Canal View, Saltcoats, new build development. The development provides a total of 40 houses and flats for rent. The first keys to be handed over to new tenants were for two bespoke ground floor wheelchair designed properties. A key handover ceremony too
30/09/2011
The contractor for the new sports & leisure centre in Kirkcaldy is expected to be confirmed shortly. Work on the £15m project is due to start this November and expected to open in summer 2013, and will be managed on behalf of the Council by Fife Sports & Leisure Trust. The new centre is part of F
30/09/2011
A Spanish wind turbine operator has revealed that Dundee is on its shortlist of locations on which to site its new factory. Gamesa is set to open a new research and development centre for the offshore wind industry at Strathclyde Business Park and are to open a factory making the turbines in eithe
30/09/2011
An internationally renowned hotel has gone on the market for sale through property consultancy Knight Frank. Dornoch Castle Hotel, which is situated in the heart of Sutherland town of Dornoch 40 minutes north of Inverness, occupies a stunning building dating from 1480. The original building was bu
30/09/2011
Artwork commissioned by one of Scotland's leading housing associations is nearing completion. Acclaimed artist Andy Scott was commissioned by Sanctuary Scotland to mold a mural of popular comic, Billy Connolly. The 20ft x 16ft creation, dubbed 'Big Yin', is nearing completion and will be hung fr
29/09/2011
A protest march is planned over controversial plans for the creation of a waste recycling plant next to one of Aberdeen's most popular parks. Waste firm SITA has applied for planning permission for the recycling centre on the former Grove Nursery site beside Hazlehead Park, which is home to a memor
29/09/2011
An application has been submitted to create an onshore connection for a subsea electricity cable linking Scotland and Norway. A landing point at Peterhead has been suggested as part of the proposed new North Sea interconnector. Project company NorthConnect, whose directive is to plan, build and op
29/09/2011
Resurfacing work is scheduled to begin on Dundee Street in Carnoustie. Maintenance starts on Monday, 3 October and will take two weeks to complete. The work will be carried out in two phases. The first phase is from Burnside Street to Links Avenue and the road will be closed while this is being c
29/09/2011
Partners involved in the award-winning town centre regeneration project, Imagine Alloa, are to be congratulated by local councillors. Funded by the Scottish Government and Clackmannanshire Alliance, Imagine Alloa won the Best Community & Neighbourhood Initiative category in the 2011 Association o
29/09/2011
In an effort to increase road safety, work is soon to commence on a new state-of-the-art £1 million bridge at Kilmarnock's Dean Ford. The new bridge will incorporate a carriageway, a pedestrian footway and even a fish pass to allow for migration. Due to start in January 2012, a six-month contract
28/09/2011
The Scottish Government's Innovation and Investment Fund has awarded £4.41 million to East Lothian Council to build new council houses in North Berwick, Prestonpans, Musselburgh and Cockenzie. Each local authority in Scotland was invited to prepare a bid for funding for new-build housing projects.
28/09/2011
The North Unst Public Hall in Haroldswick is set to re-open after an extensive refurbishment. Funding was provided by the Council's Capital Grants to Voluntary Organisations Fund (£100,000) and the European Union under the Shetland LEADER Programme (£100,000). The North Unst Public Hall Committe
28/09/2011
Responding to a Scottish Government consultation on possible funding changes, Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations (GWSF) has repeated its opposition to cuts. Adaptation works carried out to the homes of older and disabled housing association tenants face major cuts. GWSF Dir
28/09/2011
One of Scotland's leading housing associations is celebrating after being among the main prize winners at The Herald Property Awards for Scotland 2011. Sanctuary Scotland's regeneration of Linwood received 'Best Regeneration Project' award, which was collected by the association's director, Gordon
28/09/2011
A high performance gas protection system has been installed on the redevelopment of the former Chalmers Church site in Bridge of Allan. Crammond Select Homes recently installed the system created by leading manufacturer and distributor of thermal and acoustic insulation products, the A. Proctor Gr
28/09/2011
Spending proposals for £1.1m of planned preventative maintenance works on buildings and roads are to be reviewed by Dumfries and Galloway Council's Policy and Resources committee. The need to increase funding for planned preventative maintenance was identified by the Council's corporate strategy i
27/09/2011
Mansell has won a £2.8 million housing project in Causewayend, Aberdeen for development and refurbishment specialist Renaissance Property. The five four-storey blocks of flats will be known as City Mount. Demolition of an existing warehouse and office structure took place to make way for the new fl
27/09/2011
Plans to provide Glasgow Queen Street station with a major revamp have just been announced. Network Rail has selected the Buchanan Partnership as its partner for a multi-million pound redevelopment. The project is expected to run from 2013 until 2015, with additional improvements especially for t
27/09/2011
A £35 million fund to support production of new offshore wind technology in Scotland has been announced by First Minister Alex Salmond. The announcement was made at the opening of the second Scottish Low Carbon Investment Conference in Edinburgh. It was also announced that 'Oyster' wave energy dev
27/09/2011
Wigtownshire councillors are being urged to reject plans for a wind farm because of its "significant adverse impact" on the landscape. Developer RES said the project could generate enough power to meet the demand of 14,000 homes and wants to construct 11 turbines at Glenchamber between New Luce, Ki
27/09/2011
Orkney Islands Council's Policy and Resources Committee has awarded a contract to extend Hatston pier. The extension is part of a project to create a Marine Energy Service base in Kirkwall and will see the county's largest deep-water pier extended northwards by 160m at a total cost of £8m. A tota
27/09/2011
Leading defence company BAE Systems has announced that it is cutting almost 3,000 jobs at sites across the country. BAE employs 40,000 people in the UK and 100,000 worldwide. Thirty-five jobs are to go at BAE's technology development facility at Hillend in Fife. The defence contractor's Hillend
26/09/2011
A leading Scottish construction firm has been awarded two contracts worth £5 million to deliver gas servicing and maintenance service for Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association and Sanctuary Cumbernauld. City Building is one of Scotland's largest construction companies carrying out over 500,000 rep
26/09/2011
Councillors have rejected a proposal to convert a business park in Newton Mearns into a housing development. In the first meeting of its kind, councillors met for a 'pre-determination hearing' to look at an application for land to the west of Stewarton Road, Newton Mearns, which had been zoned for
26/09/2011
Falkirk Council has launched a new development plan consultation, ensuring residents throughout the area will have the opportunity to have their say on future land use for business, leisure and housing over the next ten years. According to the report presented to a meeting of the Economic Strategy
26/09/2011
Forestry Commission Scotland is appealing to transport companies, tour operators, haulage contractors and all other road users to be aware of a proposed closure of the A82 south of Fort William in November or December. The closure is necessary to carry out the controlled removal of a 200-250 tonne
26/09/2011
Work on the Crieff Recycling Centre is progressing well councillors announced after visiting the North Forr site to view redevelopments. The new facility being built at the existing Council depot is set to improve facilities for local residents and Council operations staff. The redevelopment is
26/09/2011
Orkney and Fife is to launch a pilot scheme offering interest free loans for solid wall insulation later this year. The pilot will increase the uptake of solid wall insulation while cutting bills, tackling fuel poverty and reducing emissions. Homeowners in Orkney and lower income homeowners in two
23/09/2011
There's good news this week for builders in Argyll and Bute. That was the message from Argyll and Bute Council's Spokesperson for rural and island affairs, housing and Gaelic Councillor Robin Currie on the Scottish Government's announcement last week that four Argyll and Bute groups were successf
23/09/2011
East Lothian building firms and local commuters could be set for a major boost after a study commissioned by Transport Scotland showed a positive business case for a railway station to be built at East Linton as part of an improved Dunbar local service. Campaigners are now hopeful that more frequen
23/09/2011
An Aberdeen project to help offenders find work has won more than £450,000 from the Big Lottery Fund. Aberdeen's Forward project aims to stop what has been described as a "revolving door" for criminals who re-offend and end up back into prison. The partnership between Aberdeen Prison and Robert Go
23/09/2011
Three multi storey flats at North Sighthill in Edinburgh are due to be demolished to make way for the regeneration of the area. Glenalmond, Hermiston and Weir Courts - once home to 285 households - will be demolished by the controlled use of explosives. The demolition is scheduled to take place la
23/09/2011
Revised plans to replace a council-run care home in Dumfries and Galloway with upgraded special housing have been recommended by the council. The Dunmuir Park project at Castle Douglas has been amended to address a range of design concerns. The existing building, which has been a long-standing cau
23/09/2011
Plans for a survey of council properties to assess their potential for solar energy have been approved. The plans are part of a new Renewables Strategy have been approved. The West Lothian Council Executive has also agreed to seek accreditation for the Microgeneration Certification Scheme by compl
22/09/2011
Following on from the recent budget statement from the SNP Government, the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats have cited the housing sector as one of "Swinney's budget losers." In the Scottish equivalent of the UK chancellor’s annual budget speech, finance secretary John Swinney explained how the S
22/09/2011
West Dunbartonshire Council has received £450,000 funding to help build 15 new council homes in the Vale of Leven - the first to be built in the area in 23 years. The money comes from the £55m Innovation and Investment Fund which was set up by the government to provide affordable housing across Sco
22/09/2011
Stirling Council is to hold a public consultation following revised mitigation proposals for Scottish Power Transmissions Ltd's (SPT) Beauly - Denny overhead power line. A condition of the power line consent given by the Scottish Government was for SPT to produce a Stirling Visual Impact Mitigatio
22/09/2011
A major gas pipeline operator is due to start essential works in the Milngavie Road area of Bearsden. The work, to be carried out by Scotland Gas Networks (SGN), includes renewing 1.3km of gas mains to ensure the safety and reliability of the network supply. The vital works are set to last for aro
22/09/2011
An American oil and gas company has bought North Sea assets from ExxonMobil worth $1.75bn (£1.1bn). The deal between ExxonMobil and Apache Corporation, which includes the Beryl field, will increase the American company's North Sea production by 54% and its reserves by about 44%. The announcement o
22/09/2011
The Kippen sports field has been given a makeover courtesy of Kippen Sports Development Limited (KSDL) and the Criminal Justice team from Stirling Council. Councillor Graham Houston and Councillor Ian Brown visited the Kippen playing field to witness improvements. KSDL (formally KSDG before it ac
21/09/2011
Edinburgh construction workers are to stage a protest over plans to cut pay by 30%. Rogue employers, who are tearing up long held Scottish national agreements, are being blamed for the cuts. Workers in five of the eight breakaway companies have been contacted by their managers with the instructio
21/09/2011
An independent survey has revealed that nine out of 10 people in the north-east believe that RoadSense should drop its legal challenge to the long-awaited Aberdeen bypass. The survey was commissioned by the Press & Journal and found that 91.2% of respondents want the group's chairman, William Walto
21/09/2011
A funding award from the Scottish Government's Innovation and Investment Fund is set to boost homes and jobs in Angus, with the recent announcement of a new affordable housing development. Developments in Arbroath, Forfar and Inveraldie stand to benefit from the funding and a partnership arrangeme
21/09/2011
Highland councillors have rejected plans for 23 turbines at Druim Ba between Kiltarlity and Abriachan. Developer Druim Ba Sustainable Energy proposed creating the wind farm, the turbines of which would reach to 149.5m (490ft) from the ground to the tip of a blade at its highest point, in a forestry
21/09/2011
It has been reported that approvals for new housing association homes in the west of Scotland are down by 40% this year, compared with last year. The announcement of funding cuts were made on the same day that several housing associations picked up major awards at the Herald Property Awards for Sco
21/09/2011
One of Scotland's top economists is set to address local Kilmarnock businesses about the economic challenges and opportunities facing the construction sector in Ayrshire. Chief Economist at Lloyds Banking Group Scotland, Donald MacRae OBE, will be speaking at the latest meeting of the Building Bant
20/09/2011
One of Scotland's leading house-builders has just announced plans to cut 40 jobs. According to the Stewart Milne Group, the posts would go in its timber systems division. The firm employs 257 people across the UK, and jobs are set to go in Aberdeen, Glasgow and at the firm's base in Witney, Oxford
20/09/2011
A new housing development by a leading provider of housing, care and community services for older people in need or at risk has been selected as the best Social Housing Development of the year in the Herald's Property Awards for Scotland. Bield's development at Pearce Street, Govan is a seven-stor
20/09/2011
Schoolboy Lewis Reynolds will be literally bringing the houses down this weekend. The lucky nine-year-old has designed the winning entry in a poster competition for the demolition of the three multi-storey blocks in North Sighthill on Sunday (25 September). As the winner of the competition he will
20/09/2011
It has been suggested that enough electricity to power 40% of homes in the Midlothian region could be generated by the 12 turbine wind farm planned for the area. Renewable energy developer, Wind Prospect, hopes to build the wind farm at the Mount Lothian site, which is part of the Penicuik Estate.
20/09/2011
High connection charges could result in Scotland losing its place at the forefront of research into wave and tidal energy according to a leading industry body. Scottish Renewables revealed that projects in the north of Scotland face charges of £56m annually to feed in to the electricity grid and
20/09/2011
The first mainstream social housing to be built in Aberdeen in over 30 years has been officially opened. Phase One of the development saw the creation of 85 new homes; 28 at Byron Court, 30 at Hayton Road in Tillydrone and 27 at Rorie Hall in Cults. A mixture of home types and sizes, including tw
19/09/2011
The first phase of the Falkirk Housing Project has been completed. 28 affordable rented homes were developed by Kingdom Housing Association as part of the housing development at Overton Crescent, Falkirk. The first 14 homes have been completed and allocated to applicants from the Falkirk housing
19/09/2011
Plans to redevelop and transform a multi-storey block to provide rental homes have been announced by Glasgow Housing Association. The proposed £7m redevelopment of the building near the new South Glasgow Hospital and the digital media quarter at Pacific Quay, would also offer tenants a chance to bu
19/09/2011
Building work has commenced on 111 new affordable homes at Edinburgh's Waterfront. Port of Leith Housing Association's (PoLHA) £11.7m development at Ocean Drive East, Western Harbour, Newhaven is to be a mix of social rent and mid-market rent properties. Construction work is being carried out by
19/09/2011
Leading Icynene Approved Installer, eco Insulate Ltd has announced its sponsorship of Team Murdoch, one of the leading men's curling teams in the UK. Based in Dumfries and Galloway, eco Insulate Ltd operates throughout Scotland specialising in the insulation of 'hard to heat and hard to treat' pro
19/09/2011
The longest serving blind worker in Scotland has retired from RSBi after 51 years. May McCann takes well earned retirement aged 69 after her career as a sewing machinist at one of Europe’s largest supported facilities in Glasgow. When May McCann began her career at Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft ind
19/09/2011
RICS launches new guidance for its members which addresses the issue of breach of contract and damages for delays in the completion of construction projects. Damages for Delays to Completion addresses the legal and financial repercussions associated with breaches of contract in relation to missed
16/09/2011
East Lothian Council has awarded £5.1m worth of contracts over the summer period that includes the construction of a new library, new council housing and a new athletics track and sports pitch. One of the contracts, for £887,000, was awarded for the construction of a new 400m all-weather running tr
16/09/2011
The second in a series of housing consultation road-shows will be held in Angus on Saturday 24 September. Residents will have the opportunity to learn more about Angus Council housing services and how they can influence their planning, improvement and delivery. The road-shows are the first of the
16/09/2011
The construction contract for the new Portobello High School is to be awarded to Balfour Beatty Construction. Edinburgh city councillors will approve the proposed appointment at their next meeting scheduled for next week. Balfour Beatty has agreed to delay signing the contract until the outcome of
16/09/2011
A planning committee has given the go-ahead for five extra homes to be built in Woodburn on the site of a disused former nursery building, Thornybank. The nursery's adjacent primary school, the former Woodburn primary, is also being used for housing development. The building was vacated when the
16/09/2011
Edinburgh's housing leader has welcomed an announcement from the Scottish Government that will lead to 645 new affordable homes being built in the capital. Councillor Paul Edie was speaking as a package of measures was announced for more affordable homes in Scotland. The City of Edinburgh Council
16/09/2011
A multi million-pound 'black hole' in council finances has been created by problems with the planning system, Scotland's spending watchdog has revealed. Audit Scotland said that despite new laws in 2006 to modernize the system, the shortfall had still risen from £6.7m to £20.8m in the last six year
15/09/2011
The fitout team at Morris & Spottiswood have scooped a £7.1m tender win – one of the largest fitout projects in Scotland this year. 151/155 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, involves ten floors of interior and exterior refurbishment, including a new visionary copper entrance with level access from St Vin
15/09/2011
The completion of Edinburgh's troubled tram project would appear to be in sight finally, after Scottish ministers have stepped in to help run it. The decision comes just before a major deadline for resolution with tram contractor Bilfinger Berger. Several officials from the government agency Tra
15/09/2011
A leading renewable energy company has lodged an appeal to the Scottish government to rule on plans for a wind farm, which were submitted seven years ago. The application for the Broadmeadows wind farm development near Selkirk, originally attracted a significant number of letters of both support an
15/09/2011
Forty-one families in Glasgow’s East End are benefiting from 25 new flats and the restoration of two neglected tenements. Parkhead Housing Association spent more than £5m building the new homes which were officially opened by local MP Margaret Curran MP. Two privately owned Grade C listed tenemen
15/09/2011
Perth & Kinross Council has completed the latest stage of its multi-million pound council house building programme. Keys have been handed over to tenants for the first phase of homes built in Methven. 20 houses have been built at Rorrie Terrace in the village, to accommodate families of between fi
15/09/2011
Leading Scottish construction firm City Building has won a £2.1 million contract to provide repairs and maintenance services to West of Scotland Housing Association’s 2877 properties across Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. Beating off stiff competition to win the three-year contract, City Buildin
14/09/2011
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in Scotland has launched its ‘Building for Success’ policy manifesto, which it claims will "kickstart" the Scottish construction industry. The launch of ‘Building for Success’ at the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday identified three key challenges for the new
14/09/2011
Parks & Countryside will shortly begin repairing the accident damage to the boundary wall of Pittencrieff Park in Dunfermline. While on site the opportunity will be taken to carry out some additional maintenance work to the structure. Work will start on Saturday 17 September, 2011, and is expected
14/09/2011
More than a hundred Winget residents in Carntyne got a sneak preview of the finished homes – and were delighted with what they saw. Tenants and homeowners from the area were joined by Paul Martin MSP and Councillors Elaine McDougall, Jennifer Dunn and Frank Docherty at an open day, which showed off
14/09/2011
The latest state-of-the-art care home commissioned by the City of Edinburgh Council has officially opened its doors. Inch View Care Home on Gilmerton Road has been built on the site of the former Kings Inch school. It is the fourth new care home to be commissioned by the Council since 2007. The re
14/09/2011
Electrical control and automation specialist HiTrack Ltd has reported that it secured deals worth £500,000 during the first half of 2011. The company – which is based at Dyce, Aberdeen – specialises in bespoke design, installation and maintenance of control systems and panels, ranging from small co
14/09/2011
Mearns based company Peterkin Homes has gained the prestigious accolade of representing Scotland in the Best New Homes Builder Category in the 2010 Federation of Master Builders (FMB) National Master Builder of the Year Competition. The winning project was a two-story house in the village of John
13/09/2011
One of the UK's largest privately owned house builders is to join forces with TV presenter Keith Chegwin in a new campaign to help and advise first time house buyers. Since 1935 Miller Homes has built nearly 100,000 homes in the UK and now has eight operating regions, including two in Scotland.
13/09/2011
The first of 35 turbines is being erected at the site of a £100m wind farm near Brora in Sutherland. Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) said the Gordonbush scheme should generate 70 megawatts (MW) of electricity. SSE's major projects liaison manager, Ruth Liddicoat, said that significant work had
13/09/2011
Aberdeen councillors are to vote on whether to put the controversial plans to transform Union Terrace Gardens out to a referendum. Following an international design contest to raise the level of the Victorian gardens, six design teams have been selected to compete for the £140m City Garden Project.
13/09/2011
The first phase of a 500-home development in the Borders has been approved by local councillors. Persimmon Homes wants to build the houses on a site at Easter Langlee in Galashiels. The first application, for 118 homes, was approved by members of Scottish Borders Council's planning and building st
13/09/2011
Aberdeen City Council is playing host to the Periurban Parks project meeting this week. Representatives of 11 EU countries are to attend and delegates will discuss the creation and management of parks in natural suburban areas. Periurban Parks is an INTERREG IVC Regional Initiative project runnin
12/09/2011
The newly refurbished Inverness Blood Donor Centre is to be officially opened today. The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) has upgraded its unit at Raigmore Hospital as part of a wider modernisation programme. A new layout allows the centre to increase collections of blood when t
12/09/2011
A leading provider of social housing has just announced the completion of a funding deal with Barclays Corporate which will enable their growth programme to continue to expand. Partick Housing Association provides much needed accommodation in the west of Glasgow and the £18.05m, 30 year loan facili
12/09/2011
The University of Aberdeen's new £57m library is set to open for business today. Construction began back in August 2009, and the building will replace the university's aging Queen Mother Library. While it will be open and its services available to the local community as well as students from today
12/09/2011
Edinburgh's Princes Street is set to close again as work is to resume on the troubled trams project. Major construction was halted several years ago following a dispute over who should pay for additional costs. The diversions are in preparation for remedial works on the road surface and buses, tax
12/09/2011
Councillors at a recent Environment, Enterprise & Transportation Committee in Cupar have agreed on proposals to reduce traffic congestion and upgrade the town centre. The improvements will include removing the town centre’s traffic lights and ensuring the roads and footpaths are resurfaced and str
09/09/2011
Moray Council has agreed an option for a junction connecting Elgin's proposed western distributor road to the A96 trunk road. It has opted for a roundabout to be built at Sheriffmill Road, midway between the north end of Wittet Drive and the road bridge across the River Lossie. The construction of
09/09/2011
A garage in Insch has been fined after one of its workers was fatally injured when a metal oil drum he was working on exploded. Martyn Massie, 23, from Forgue, was cutting a metal drum that had previously stored used engine oil. The blade of the plasma cutter Mr Massie was using to remove the lid
09/09/2011
Perth & Kinross Council has recently secured funding to carry out improvement on the River Earn Path. They have invited anyone with an interest in the path to take part in a short survey seeking views on how it can be improved. Plans to improve the path, which links Crieff and Muthill, involve us
09/09/2011
Global alcoholic drinks giant Diageo has demolished a giant chimney at its former grain distillery in Port Dundas, Glasgow. Built in 1973, the 70-metre tall structure was brought down by a controlled explosion. The demolition is in preparation for possible redevelopment of the site. The distiller
09/09/2011
Builders who are also VAT rule-breakers have until 30 September to register to pay what they owe under an HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) campaign. The new campaign focuses on individuals and businesses trading above the VAT registration threshold - a turnover of £73,000 - but who have not registered.
08/09/2011
Developers planning a new town development in Aberdeenshire have submitted an application to build 9,000 homes at Chapelton of Elsick, about 10 miles south of Aberdeen. The development by Elsick Development Company (EDC), to be situated at a 2,000-acre area of farmland near Newtonhill, also include
08/09/2011
Work has begun on a new sports pavilion at Colinton Mains Park. The City of Edinburgh Council approved plans to create the new £1m facility in September 2009 and the project is due for completion in early 2012. It was jointly funded by the Council and sportscotland and is part of the Council's on
08/09/2011
Aberdeen City and Shire's unique energy development corridor, Energetica, has announced that 30% of the £750 million investment potential is now underway. This includes the development of almost 600 acres of new business space, master-planning for Energetica's new villages, port and leisure develop
08/09/2011
Stirling Council has granted permission for plans for a new visitor centre to showcase the Battle of Bannockburn. Designed by award-winning architects Reiach and Hall, the new centre is part of the project to enhance the presentation of the battle and its significance in time for the 700th annive
08/09/2011
Delegate numbers are rising for the 2011 SFHA Annual Conference, which takes place September 22 – 23 at Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow. This years conference, Raise The Roof: Speak Up For Housing, will highlight the power of the housing lobby with an emphasis on ensuring an understanding is re
08/09/2011
Work is scheduled to start improvements on John O'Groats, the UK's most northerly mainland outpost, which last year received the Carbuncle Award for the most dismal place in Scotland and was once described by architecture magazine Urban Realm as a "bleak outpost." Amongst the improvements scheduled
07/09/2011
A subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has outlined potential improvements to the Far North Line in the Highlands. The suggestion to create a new railhead, or freight terminus, in Caithness was made by Direct Rail Services (DRS) and it was asserted that possible improvements a
07/09/2011
Work has commenced on Aberdeenshire Council's first care village in Stonehaven. The development is to include a 60-bed care home and eight one-bedroom cottages at the site on School Road in Stonehaven's town centre. The new home will replace the existing Edenholme, which opened in 1952 and curren
07/09/2011
Midlothian Council are to introduce a mobile system to make it easier for tenants to get help from our builders, electricians, plumbers and joiners. A powerful software system has been installed which sends details of each job directly to the tradesperson's new PDA (personal digital assistant or ha
07/09/2011
Scottish Power's latest refusal to bury parts of the Beauly-Denny power line has been met with criticism from Stirling Council, which said it was "extremely disappointed." Original proposals to limit the visual impact of the overhead line, which passes east of Stirling, were rejected by the local c
07/09/2011
The Dingwall Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) is to be launched this week as part of Dingwall Conservation Week. Funded by Historic Scotland, LEADER and The Highland Council, CARS is a celebration of the special historic environment of Dingwall Town Centre. Dingwall CARS will run for
07/09/2011
Following on from recent proposals to create a new play area at West Links, Arbroath, Angus Council is seeking comments and feedback to enable them to enhance the visitor experience to the popular seaside recreation area and provide play opportunities for children. The council gave approval to fin
07/09/2011
Penalties for late or non-filing of a contractor's monthly return within the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) are changing next month. From 6th October, CIS contractor monthly returns will be liable to a new penalty regime. The following penalties will apply to that return and all subsequent mon
06/09/2011
Glasgow communities can now benefit from a grants programme to enable them to temporarily take on and rejuvenate sites which are currently stalled or unused. Glasgow City Council, in partnership with Glasgow Housing Association (GHA), has announced the first 21 projects to be given support up to th
06/09/2011
The Stromness Townscape Heritage Initiative has announced plans to issue grants to enable town centre retailers to renovate their shop fronts during winter 2011. The grants are part of an on-going project to restore the conservation area of Stromness. Under the Winter 2011 grants scheme, the Strom
06/09/2011
Fife Council's Levenmouth Area Committee recently agreed to spend £10,000 to demolish an empty property and landscape the site on the corner of Methilhaven / Percival Road, Buckhaven. The council recently took ownership of Muiredge Cottage and money from the local area budget will now be used to de
06/09/2011
Two of the largest providers of affordable housing in Midlothian, Midlothian Council and Melville Housing Association, have been short-listed for a prestigious UK housing award for their innovation in delivering a new housing in Penicuik. The 28-home Wester Cuiken project has been shortlisted in th
06/09/2011
Clackmannanshire Council is set to take action against planning breaches at Gubber Hill. Council staff have met with the owner and issued a Temporary Stop Notice after work on the site, which lies between Alloa and Tullibody, in April. The council offered the owner, who allegedly assured them tha
06/09/2011
The Offshore Europe exhibition is widely regarded as one of the premier events in the international oil industry calendar. The three-day event is staged biennially in Aberdeen during the first week in September. It includes an exhibition conference and business networking opportunities, and is cru
05/09/2011
A protest has been held over controversial plans to build a massive waste energy plant. Lifetime Recycling Village Ltd wants permission to build the facility at Loganswell, south of Newton Mearns. Protestors in East Renfrewshire are unimpressed by claims that the £640m plant could incinerate enoug
05/09/2011
Work has begun on the first new public park to be built in Inverness for a generation. Inshes District Park will cover a significant area of South Inverness. 29 hectares (72 acres) in total will be developed in three phases. The park will eventually deliver a range of environments – from a flat an
05/09/2011
Stirling Council has expressed extreme disappointment and concern over Scottish Power Transmissions (SPT) latest scheme for visual mitigation of their 400kv high voltage overhead power line as it passes across the Forth Valley to the east of Stirling, through historic and sensitive landscapes and cl
05/09/2011
A Masterplan is being developed for the future infrastructure of an important area of East Dunbartonshire. Following discussion at a recent Development and Infrastructure committee meeting the preliminary seminar for the Kirkintilloch Masterplan development process has now been confirmed. Electe
05/09/2011
Newark Castle in Port Glasgow and the iconic Custom House in Greenock are among the star attractions in Inverclyde's Doors Open Days. Over 30 venues are taking part in this year's event which takes place across Scotland as part of European Heritage Days which sees millions of visitors in 50 countri
05/09/2011
A surveyor from South Ayrshire Council's property services is flying high after she and her fiancé scooped the top prize in a local radio wedding competition. Anne Lochrie (27) and Lee Wilson (27), who is a heating engineer, took the top spot in the West FM Wedding Competition, which annually recei
02/09/2011
The contract to build Port Glasgow's £44 million Shared Campus has been awarded to Graham Construction. The new building will be home to Port Glasgow High and St Stephen's High Schools and a new Additional Support Needs (ASN) School to replace Glenburn and Lilybank Schools. Graham Construction has
02/09/2011
It is expected that councillors in Edinburgh will do a 'U-turn' on the city's trams project and agree the line should terminate in the centre of the city. Council members voted seven days ago to run the lines to Haymarket, outside the centre. However, that decision is expected to be thrown out an
02/09/2011
Funding of £55,000 towards the further development of Toll Park in Buckhaven has been approved by Levenmouth Area Committee. Work has already begun in the park to improve some of the infrastructure, including drainage, footpaths and steps and the latest round of funding from the area budget will a
02/09/2011
Work began this week on the £1 million refurbishment of Galston's Community Education Centre – one of the first buildings to be developed as part of East Ayrshire Council's £4.5 million commitment to regenerate the Irvine Valley. Centre users, community members and councillors gathered to mark the
02/09/2011
A community in Glasgow's east end celebrated a major milestone in an environmental project designed to improve health and tackle fuel poverty in the area with the opening of a new cycle tracks. The Milnbank Carbon Reduction Project - which has so far contributed to a reduction of 2000 tonnes of car
02/09/2011
One of Scotland's leading housing, regeneration and support organisations has begun the £2.1m construction of 16 homes at Taig Road, Waterside Kirkintilloch. Link Group provides services to 10,000 families and individuals in 26 Scottish local authority areas, they acquired the site using funding p
01/09/2011
After extensive consultation the design team involved with the renovation of Dunoon’s Waterfront have presented options for each of the four main parts of the plan to the project board. The designs are for the Queen’s Hall, the roads, the ferry waiting room and the harbourmaster building and pier.
01/09/2011
The £2.6m refurbishment of the city's Kings Theatre took an important step forward today with the appointment of the main contractor, H&J Martin Ltd. The main contract, covering the first two phases of a three-phase investment into the building, was awarded following a formal procurement process du
01/09/2011
East Renfrewshire Council has given the go ahead for the installation of a new synthetic hockey pitch and four lane 400m running track at Eastwood High School in Newton Mearns. The site, which will be lit by six 18 metre high floodlights, is located at the rear of Capelrig House. The pitch and tra
01/09/2011
Road improvements from the council's reconstruction programme in the Helensburgh and Lomond area look set to finish ahead of schedule. Weather permitting, work due to be completed by the end of October will now be finished by September. The roads have all been resurfaced and all potholes fixed.
01/09/2011
Planning consent has been granted for the development of Angus Council's proposed new multi-million pound business park in Arbroath, a 14.2 hectare site to the west of Elliot Industrial Estate. The business park will consist of around 28 plots for general industrial, manufacturing, storage and dist
01/09/2011
Oil and gas services and manufacturing firm FMC Technologies has announced it is to expand its Scottish operations in Bellshill and Dunfermline, supported with £2.5 million of Regional Selective Assistance through Scottish Enterprise. The expansion will create 240 new jobs, with 170 jobs at the sit
