Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Scotland Construction News Archive for March 2012
30/03/2012
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has welcomed new figures that demonstrate Scotland will beat the 2011 renewables target. Statistics published today show that the amount of renewable electricity generated in 2011 rose 45 per cent on 2010 to 13,750 Gigawatt hours. Assuming gross consumption in 2011 is
30/03/2012
A path connecting Dunbeg Primary School with the housing in the Lorn Road area of the village is about to get off the ground following the confirmation of relevant permissions and funding streams. The new path is being jointly funded by Argyll and Bute Council, Sustrans and the LEADER European fund
30/03/2012
A new online guide with information and updates on the project to create a multi million pound community campus in Brechin is now live. The pages at
30/03/2012
A £100,000 refurbishment of the historic Gairnshiel Bridge, near Ballater, is to get underway next week. The A-listed bridge over the River Gairn, constructed in 1751, is to close from Monday (Mon, Apr 2) for a series of works which are expected to be complete by the end of May. During this time,
30/03/2012
A Scottish Government charter which aims to improve the quality and value of services that social landlords provide to tenants will take effect on Sunday [01 April]. The Scottish Social Housing Charter, which was approved by the Scottish Parliament on 14 March [2012], comprises 16 outcomes that ser
30/03/2012
Irvine Bay Regeneration Company has welcomed the announcement of a £100 million investment in Scotland by pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline. The money, to be split between the firm’s plants in Irvine and Montrose, will see an expansion in production at both sites and will create between 100-200
30/03/2012
Work has started on a pilot survey of traditional buildings in Birsay as part of a project to compile a Local List of all important built structures across Orkney. The creation of the Orkney Local List is aimed at cataloguing the county’s built heritage to ensure that this information is available
30/03/2012
Moray councillors have agreed new lease arrangements for Highland League club Forres Mechanics’ Mosset Park ground. They have set the annual rental for the ground at £4500 a year, compared with the current £5.60 (correct) a year. The rent will be reviewed again in 2017 and every five years thereaf
29/03/2012
Moray Council’s new HQ campus building has been officially opened by council convener George McIntyre. He unveiled a plaque to mark the completion of work on the £4million building which began life 20 years ago as a supermarket. The conversion to a modern workplace for more than 200 staff has take
29/03/2012
The keys to the new £90 million laboratory on the new South Glasgow campus have been officially handed over to Andrew Robertson, Chair of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, by Ross Ballingall, Managing Director of the main contractor, Brookfield Multiplex. The laboratory is part of the £842 million pub
29/03/2012
Andrew Robertson, Chair of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has cut the first sod of the new Vale of Leven Centre for Health and Care marking the beginning of construction. This significant development will see an investment of over £20 million on one of the most modern state-of-the-art health centres
29/03/2012
Considerate developer Banks Renewables has won backing from council planners for a wind farm which would provide around £8.9 million of funding for nearby rural communities. The Hamilton-based company is a step closer to realising plans for a wind farm at Kype Muir, south of Strathaven after it was
29/03/2012
Householders in Moray are being urged not to feed gulls or leave easy pickings for them. Each year Moray Council receives complaints about householders putting out food for gulls. Feeding the birds encourages them to colonise residential areas, nest on the roofs of buildings and create nuisance in
29/03/2012
Around 80 S1 pupils from Stromness Academy will have the chance to try their hand at some traditional building skills next week with help from Orkney College, local contractors, Historic Scotland and the Stromness Townscape Heritage Initiative. The practical workshops will cover skills such as buil
29/03/2012
Apsu Environmental Limited, a recently formed waste water processing company based in Midlothian, Scotland has teamed up with the University of Edinburgh to design and develop pioneering surface water filtration systems which offer large reductions in the land needed for a traditional Sustainable Ur
29/03/2012
As the gas leak incident at the Elgin / Rowan Viking installation in the North Sea continues the, Scottish Environment Secretary has total transparency. Richard Lochhead said: "Any gas leak on an evacuated offshore installation is, of course, deeply worrying. Therefore it’s critical both Total and
29/03/2012
Planning Minister Derek Mackay has today outlined plans to improve efficiency and streamline the planning system, including linking increases in fees to improved performance by planning authorities. In a statement to Parliament, he launched a series of consultations and measures to take planning fo
29/03/2012
Home building industry body Homes for Scotland today welcomed Planning Minister Derek MacKay’s announcement of a consultation on improving the performance of the planning system in Scotland. The organisation’s Director of Planning Allan Lundmark said: "A planning system which promotes development
28/03/2012
Dr Richard Yemm, inventor of the Pelamis wave energy device has been honoured for his outstanding contribution to the development of the marine renewables sector. The iconic red ‘sea-snake’ wave energy converter has gained international recognition since Dr Yemm founded Pelamis Wave Power in Edinbu
28/03/2012
City Building, one of Scotland’s leading construction firms, has been announced as the main sponsor of the CLIC Sargent Spring Ball taking place this Saturday (31 March) at Hampden Park Stadium in Glasgow. Scotland’s largest apprentice training provider has teamed up with CLIC Sargent – the UK’s le
28/03/2012
One of Scotland’s leading land and property management firms has expanded its Thirsk office after landing a series of new contracts. Bell Ingram, who provides expert advice on private estates, farming and other land management topics, has invested £14,000 into an expansion of its English office in
28/03/2012
A public exhibition is being held in Inverness early next month to advise the public of major construction works programmed to commence in the city centre at the end of this year to alleviate the threat of flooding from the River Ness from the Ness Bridge downstream to the Beauly Firth. The exhibit
28/03/2012
Proposals to simplify the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) will deliver significant emissions reductions in large commercial and public sector organisations. CRC is a key part of Scotland’s climate change policy. It is helping business across the country to reduce carbon
28/03/2012
A new collaboration between government, industry leaders and environmental campaigners will lead Scotland in getting more electric vehicles on the roads. Transport Minister Keith Brown today (WED) launched the E-Cosse partnership which brings together Transport Scotland with car manufacturers, powe
28/03/2012
Shoe Zone and BAM Construction received awards at the Midlothian Employment Action Network (MEAN) Conference 2012 recognising their work in supporting employment in local communities. The MEAN Conference 2012, which took place yesterday in Loanhead, focused on employability in Midlothian and partne
28/03/2012
Scotland’s Chief Statistician today released Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) Scotland 2010. The publication includes the latest statistics to 2010 on Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD), which comprises that undertaken by business, higher education and government sectors. Regional
28/03/2012
The Energy Advice Line has called for a better deal for small firms engaged in lengthy battles with utility companies over billing errors. Julian Morgan, managing director of the UK’s leading price comparison and switching service for business, said “increasing numbers of firms were needing help to
28/03/2012
The number of people moving home is currently around half that in the peak year of 2007 but life does not stand still and homeowners are instead meeting their changing housing needs by improving and extending. "The added benefit of improving your space is avoiding high transaction costs such as st
27/03/2012
Housing and development leaders in Fife are welcoming the completion of Scottish Water’s £3 million Dunfermline Eastern Expansion project. The 6 mile long pipe will increase the volume of the drinking water network, freeing up additional capacity. This is allowing developers to build up to 2,500 ne
27/03/2012
Leading affordable housing provider Home Scotland, part of Home Group, has appointed painting and maintenance specialist Seddon Property Services for a five-year contract to provide painting and joinery repairs services. The contract, worth £1.5 million in total turnover, starts in April 2012 and w
27/03/2012
Global network infrastructure manufacturer, CommScope, has been awarded £275,000 of grant funding towards a project with capital expenditure of £1 million, which will develop a new production line for its Fife facility, safeguarding over 90 jobs in Scotland. The local facility was chosen for this e
27/03/2012
RICS Scotland invites RICS members based in Scotland, who have the ability to think strategically in business planning terms, to serve on its board. The ambit of the RICS Scotland Board is to direct the affairs of RICS Scotland under delegated authority from Governing Council. The Scottish board i
27/03/2012
Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has opened a new office in Elgin to offer both commercial and residential survey and valuation work as its programme of investment in the expansion of its branch network throughout Scotland continues apace. Headed up by Shepherd partner David Ferguson, the new office, l
27/03/2012
Alex Neil announces massive funding for subway modernisation delivery. Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, Alex Neil and Deputy First Minister and Cities Minister Nicola Sturgeon today announced that the Scottish Government will provide up to £246 million in capital funding
27/03/2012
A new Grangemouth based manufacturing suite of pharmaceutical giant Piramal was today officially opened by the Deputy First Minister. The manufacturing suite – which was upgraded with the help of £145,000 of Scottish Enterprise funding – now produces a new class of cancer drugs called ADCs. The dru
27/03/2012
Oscar-winning film director James Cameron is rightly celebrating his successful voyage to the bottom of the sea this week... but a Caithness engineering firm got there first. This is because cameras built in Wick by world leading specialist underwater manufacturer Kongsberg Maritime Ltd were captur
27/03/2012
New report says there are five major areas of risk in putting money into new nuclear plants. According to a new report from the Energy Fair group, anyone considering investing in new nuclear plants faces five major areas of risk: market risk, cost risk, subsidy risk, political risk and construction
27/03/2012
A French door incorporates one or more rectangular panels of glass into the design. These are often separated by partitions, traditionally constructed from wood or wrought iron, but now including UPVC, common in sliding patio doors, fiberglass, and steel, commonly used for both homes and business pr
26/03/2012
Spanish renewables manufacturing giant Gamesa has announced its new UK plant is to be sited at the Port of Leith. Around 800 new jobs will be created at the Edinburgh plant, with investment of up to 150 million euro. First Minister Alex Salmond – who was told of the decision by phone this morning b
26/03/2012
The Alliance of Sector Skills Councils in Scotland (Alliance Scotland), the organisation that acts as the employer voice on skills issues, has urged local authorities to do more to tackle youth unemployment as it publishes its manifesto for the local government elections in May. The manifesto – "F
26/03/2012
City of Glasgow College has taken another significant step towards the construction of a pioneering new campus in the heart of Glasgow. In November 2011 nine consortia placed formal applications to qualify to tender for the opportunity to design and construct the £200 million campus – one of Scotl
26/03/2012
Confused.com research reveals that 69 per cent of people could be putting their property at risk just by giving out spare keys. Home insurance experts at Confused.com are warning the nation to wake up to the potential danger of giving out spare keys, advising that everyone be fully aware of how to
26/03/2012
The multi-million pound Power Networks Demonstration Centre (PNDC) has moved a step closer to completion following the appointment of Dr Iliana Portugues as Operations Director. Dr Portugues attended a ‘topping out’ ceremony at the Cumbernauld site of the £12.5 million centre that will accelerate t
26/03/2012
Over 1200 people came along to the Better Homes exhibition at the Rothes Halls, Glenrothes on 21 and 22 March to find out about planned improvements to their homes. The event was designed to give tenants information about the Council’s Housing Investment Programme and provide a chance to ask ques
26/03/2012
Lovell has appointed Tad Baranski as national business development manager for the company’s repairs and maintenance business. Tad Baranski, national business development manager for repairs and maintenance Tad, who was previously group proposition director for Connaught, will head up the business
26/03/2012
As part of the development of a new industry strategy for the Scottish construction sector, Construction Scotland is asking local businesses and representatives for input. To widen the consultation to as many businesses and individuals within the sector as possible, Construction Scotland has develo
26/03/2012
First Minister Alex Salmond has launched an industry-led energy skills academy, established with over £900,000 public funding, to deliver training for thousands of workers across key sectors including oil & gas and renewables. Nigg Skills Academy (NSA) has been built at Nigg Energy Park, which was
26/03/2012
The Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing MSP spoke of the importance of the networks in Scotland's energy legacy at Energy Networks Association's (ENA) Well Connected Reception in Holyrood, recently. The event, attended by MSPs, industry, officials and organisations with an interest in Scotland's
23/03/2012
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has today announced a new £103 million investment fund which will drive the growth of renewable energy in Scotland for generations. The Renewable Energy Investment Fund (REIF) will initially focus on supporting communities and rural businesses to develop their own local
23/03/2012
The invitation to tender for the £350,000 contract to finalise the design and construction of two new mountain bike trails on the Glenlivet estate in Moray, Scotland, has been issued. With a closing date of 27 April 2012, it is hoped that a suitable contractor with experience of designing and build
23/03/2012
A Dundee light engineering firm which can trace its roots back to the Victorian era will share its present vision with two leading councillors next week. Lord Provost John Letford and Will Dawson, convener of Dundee City Council's city development committee will meet management of Galloway Group at
23/03/2012
It was a night of celebration for NSCC Specialist Contractors at the Construction News Specialists Awards on Tuesday 20 March. The Construction News Specialists Awards, supported by NSCC, are the only awards dedicated to rewarding the achievements of Specialist Contractors within the construction i
23/03/2012
The first steps to breathing new life into an old, unpopular housing scheme have been taken as demolition work begins at Newmonthill near Forfar town centre. Councillor Colin Brown, vice-convener of Neighbourhood Services, formally let the diggers on to the site recently. Five blocks of existing fl
23/03/2012
Plans for two office buildings at a new business park in Kingswells have been unanimously approved by councillors. Members of Aberdeen City Council's Development Management Sub-Committee considered four applications for the Kingswells Prime Four Business Park at Kingswells Home Farm. They agreed t
23/03/2012
The site of Aberdeen City Council's former headquarters at St Nicholas House has been put on the open market. Aberdeen City Council is inviting expressions of interest from developers for the prime site in civic heart of the city. Councillors have instructed that the 14 storey St Nicholas House, w
23/03/2012
GHA is giving parents a helping hand to keep their children safe in the home. Every GHA tenant with children under the age of five is being offered a free safety advice pack. The pack contains useful items to prevent a child being scalded, electrocuted or hurt at home – and also a booklet with fir
23/03/2012
Robertson, the infrastructure, support services and construction group has officially marked the start of work on a £9 million scheme to create the new primary school in West Linton in the Scottish Borders. Pupils and parents from the school and Scottish Borders Council were invited to help dig th
23/03/2012
Blairs Windows Limited has completed 1 year’s steady growth since the business was reinvigorated in March 2011 and is delighted to be thriving within its well established group of companies. For over a century, that’s right a century, the unrivalled Blairs brand has withstood the test of time and c
22/03/2012
Argyll and Bute council's plans to redevelop and extend a key Helensburgh site to form its new office headquarters in the town were approved today. The planning, protective services and licensing (PPSL) committee gave the green light to the proposal to transform the former Clyde Street School site
22/03/2012
Staff from Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) will turn call-handlers for one of the UK’s biggest fundraising drives on Friday. Around 135 volunteers from across GHA will be manning the phones on Friday at the organisation’s Customer Service Centre in the Gorbals to take donations from the public. L
22/03/2012
The Village at Machrihanish Dunes has officially re-opened the historic Ugadale Hotel to great pomp and circumstance. With excitement in the air Their Graces, the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, along with David Southworth, President and CEO of Southworth Development LLC; Michael Russell, MSP for Argyl
22/03/2012
Scotland must stand shoulder to shoulder to help the poor and vulnerable cope with Westminster’s new Housing Benefit law, Housing Minister Keith Brown said. Overall the UK Government’s housing benefit reforms will remove £150m every year from the Scottish economy. 95,000 households in the social re
22/03/2012
It’s game, set and match for Shepherd Chartered Surveyors which has secured sponsorship of the long-established Tennis Tayside Open Championships. Under the name of Midlands, the original tournament dates back to the mid 1800s, and this year, will be rebranded as The Shepherd Tennis Tayside Open Ch
22/03/2012
Work is set to get underway to create temporary additional car parking in Gourock town centre. Inverclyde Council in partnership with regeneration company Riverside Inverclyde (ri) will create extra car parking spaces as part of a package of work in advance of the main investment proposals, which a
22/03/2012
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has launched a unique scheme which uses crooks’ cash to help young people access apprenticeships. The PowerSkills programme offers opportunities for youths coming through the CashBack programme get off the streets, gain an engineering qualification and the chance t
22/03/2012
Commenting on the UK Budget for 2012, presented at Westminster yesterday by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, the Scottish Building Federation has claimed a crucial opportunity has been missed to create thousands of construction jobs in Scotland and accelerate recovery of the Scottish econ
22/03/2012
Allowing its recent AGM held during the CIH Scotland Annual Conference and Exhibition last week, CIH is pleased to announce that Elaine Gibson, Director of ANCHO, is the new Chair of CIH Scotland. Elaine GibsonElaine has worked in housing for over 30 years, in a wide variety of roles from frontline
21/03/2012
Cernach housing association will be working in partnership with Cruden Building and Renewals Limited to construct a £2million new-build housing development in Drumchapel. A total of 22 homes will be created at Dunkenny Road in Drumchapel, and will transform derelict land into a vibrant new commun
21/03/2012
A logistics firm has been awarded a significant Scottish Government grant (£350,000) to go green with funding to help transport Mull timber by sea to Troon and Corpach, reducing road transportation. Over the first five years it is expected this will remove 183,000 lorry miles per annum from the A88
21/03/2012
Community groups in Dundee could be set to use sporting facilities at the Centenary Wing of the former Grove Academy, now the location of Eastern Primary, if a report is approved on Monday (March 26). The education committee is being asked to back a recommendation for the facility to be open for gr
21/03/2012
The Leader of The Highland Council is delighted that the Scottish Affairs Committee reviewing the future of the Crown Estate Commissioners has unequivocally endorsed the submission of Highland and Islands local councils that Crown Estate powers should be devolved to local council and local community
21/03/2012
Contempo Lettings, the residential letting and property management franchise, is looking for the right partner to open an office in Dundee. The company is currently involved in an expansion programme to increase the number of offices it has in Scotland from seven to over 30 over the next three year
21/03/2012
Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has been instructed by Lomond Homes to offer a prestigious headquarter office and warehouse building in Glenrothes for sale or lease. The property, located at Lomond Business Park, a quality business environment providing high specification business units, has become av
21/03/2012
Transportation & Environmental Services are set to begin upgrading a number of residential streets in St Andrews. Work will start on Monday 26 March, 2012, and is expected to take up to four weeks to complete. Drainage works will be undertaken in the first week of the improvements, from Monday 26
21/03/2012
Work on six new industrial units for the renewable energy sector in Orkney has been completed. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) invested £2.95m, including £1.18m from the European Regional Development Fund, to create the units on vacant industrial site next to Hatston Pier, Kirkwall. Each un
21/03/2012
The Royal Commonwealth Pool (RCP) was formally reopened on Tuesday in a star-studded celebration featuring swimming and diving legends past and present. Former Olympic swimming champion David Wilkie performed the honours, declaring the Grade A-listed facility officially open again following its m
21/03/2012
Minister for Housing and Transport, Keith Brown, today announced his intention to appoint Geoff Aitkenhead, Tanya Castell, Martin Latimer and Duncan Sutherland to the Board which will oversee the transition of British Waterways Scotland to a self-standing Scottish public corporation charged with the
20/03/2012
A major £84,000 project to transform the busport at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) has begun. This project, which is being part funded by Nestrans and NHS Grampian with support from Aberdeen City Council, will see the existing bus boarding area outside the main entrance to ARI substantially redesig
20/03/2012
There will be a lot of activity around the Kinloch Green area soon following Argyll and Bute Council’s announcement that work is due to start on Campbeltown’s all weather pitch at the end of March. The project which is being funded by the council and sportscotland will see a floodlit third generati
20/03/2012
Aberdeen householders are warned to be on their guard against rogue traders offering to build driveways for them. The council's roads and trading standards sections have become aware of a number of city residents who have hired individuals or firms to construct driveways and who have been left out
20/03/2012
William Skinner & Son of Ayrshire in Scotland and Cambridgeshire in England have announced the latest winner of their Outstanding Company Driver Award. The winner is Jim Graham (39) who has worked as a Roofer with William Skinner & Son’s Roofing Division since February 2004. Jim received a cheque
20/03/2012
According to Adrian Stott of Shepherd Chartered Surveyors’ Musselburgh office, recent changes to building regulations should allow home owners and occupiers to more easily make improvements and alterations without experiencing some of the time delays and uncertainties which the former system seemed
20/03/2012
Roofcare & Maintenance, the Glasgow-based property services specialist, has become one of the first members of a brand new national consortium-style property repair and improvement business, Meddo. Meddo is launching its operation across six regions of the UK and Roofcare & Maintenance has been sel
20/03/2012
Construction bosses have backed Scottish Government calls for a UK Budget for jobs next week and say the construction industry should be top of the Chancellor’s list for support. Attending a summit on youth employment hosted jointly by Scottish and UK Ministers in Dundee on 15th March, Scottish Bui
20/03/2012
The regeneration of the Dawson area has picked up a top national award for the work undertaken to reverse the long term decline of the Langlees and Bainsford areas. Falkirk Council scooped the top award in the Chartered Institute of Housing/Scottish Government ‘Building Successful Communities – the
20/03/2012
The new mortgage indemnity scheme is vital to reversing the continuing fall in house building activity, according to Homes for Scotland. With latest Scottish Government figures showing a 20% annual fall in the total number of new homes started in Scotland, Jonathan Fair, Chief Executive of the indu
20/03/2012
The 2012 Housing Innovation Showcase in Dunfermline, Fife, is a joint project conducted by Fife Council and Kingdom Housing Association to test and showcase the many innovation housing solutions on the market. In addition to evaluating the cost and energy performance of these systems, the project
16/03/2012
Five pupils from Inshes Primary School, Inverness, have helped launch the next phase of work at Inshes District Park when they planted fruit trees in a section of the new park beside their school. Primary 4-6 pupils - Eve Gardiner, Eve King, Daniel Ross, Molly MacGregor and Abby Chisholm- are all m
16/03/2012
Plans to redevelop the historic Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena in Glasgow have taken a step forward after councillors approved a report on its future. A design team will now be appointed by Glasgow City Council to bring forward outline proposals for the first phase of a major refurbishment
16/03/2012
Councillors at East Renfrewshire's cabinet meeting received an update on the position with Braidbar Quarries in Giffnock. The ground at the former sandstone quarry is considered dangerous and liable to subside. East Renfrewshire Council had sought to work in partnership with a private contractor t
16/03/2012
East Lothian councillors have approved a plan to guide housing supply, investment and services in the county for the next five years. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet on 13 March 2012. The Local Housing Strategy (LHS) is the council’s main strategic document addressing how the aut
16/03/2012
Plans for a new household waste and recycling centre (HWRC) at Portlethen are to be progressed, following the selection of a preferred site for the development. There are currently 19 HWRCs across Aberdeenshire, providing access to a range of service for local communities. Investigations for a sui
16/03/2012
The concept for an iconic artwork which will grace a new sports venue in Fraserburgh has been revealed to the local community. Artist and sculptor Carn Standing has chosen to celebrate the Broch’s community spirit in his forthcoming piece for the town’s new sports and community centre. Boyndie-bas
16/03/2012
Aberdeen City Council housing tenants are being consulted on pressured area designations in the city. Under plans being considered by the council there could be a suspension in the right to buy for some tenants in an effort to safeguard the continued availability of social rented housing. On 04 Se
16/03/2012
The multi-million pound Balmedie –Tipperty scheme took a significant step forward this week with the publication of made orders. This latest development enables this scheme which will complete the dual carriageway between Aberdeen and Ellon, to be brought up to the same level of readiness as the AW
16/03/2012
Glasgow Science Centre (GSC) is pleased to announce that Hüttinger GmbH & Co have been appointed the fabrication contract for the installation of the exhibits for the BodyWorks exhibition. Following the advertisement of the tender on the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), the BodyWorks
16/03/2012
Construction bosses have backed Scottish Government calls for a UK Budget for jobs next week and say the construction industry should be top of the Chancellor’s list for support. Attending a summit on youth employment hosted jointly by Scottish and UK Ministers in Dundee yesterday, Scottish Buildi
15/03/2012
Property management, development and regeneration specialist Places for People has chosen Lovell to design and build a £3.85 million housing scheme in Craigs Road, Edinburgh. The development, set to be completed in January 2013 will create two, four-storey timber framed, apartment blocks. The 42
15/03/2012
Women in the property and construction industries have been learning the importance of stress management during a presentation by a leading health practitioner in Aberdeen. Dr Shirley Kong of RS Occupational Health shared tips on how to control stress in the work place and explained stress manageme
15/03/2012
A Midlothian skip hire company was fined £1,000 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court recently for burning waste on their site at Easthouses Industrial Estate, Mayfield. Watson Skip Hire Limited was found guilty by Sheriff Kenneth Maciver, following a trial, of failing to comply with a condition of their wast
15/03/2012
Scottish Water was fined £7,500 at Dunfermline Sheriff Court recently after admitting a sewage spill from one of their wastewater pumping stations polluted a Fife burn. They pled guilty to carrying on a controlled activity, namely an activity liable to cause pollution of the water environment in th
15/03/2012
The Scottish Government announced that 43 groups across Scotland have been awarded over £6.9 million for the next three years under the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF). The CCF helps communities reduce their carbon footprints and contribute to Scotland reaching its ambitious climate change target of r
15/03/2012
Construction company Lend Lease has cemented its CSR credentials in Scotland after handing over £80,000 to local causes CHAS and Ayrshire Hospice. The building firm’s kind-hearted Scottish staff and supply chain raised the mighty sum through a number of initiatives during the course of 2011, incl
15/03/2012
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is announcing a £350,000 funding package for international business outsourcing company Capita to train more than 140 new employees in Moray. Capita, which employs 46,000 people worldwide, is growing its business at the Enterprise Park Forres. Following the ac
15/03/2012
A new housing development in the South Side of Glasgow has helped two best pals stay together as neighbours. Pensioners Emma Robertson and Ellen Aitkinson moved from a tenement in Shawbridge which is due to be demolished into brand new GHA homes in nearby Riverford Road. And the close friends and
15/03/2012
Perth is to be Scotland's seventh city courtesy of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. City status was removed from Scotland's first capital as part of local government re-organisation in 1975 but it has always retained its unofficial title of the Fair City, and has now seen that confirmed. Perth was one
15/03/2012
Scottish Building Federation Chief Executive Michael Levack believes there is no sign of forward drive within the sector. Commenting on job statistics for the Scottish construction industry, published yesterday the SBF Chief Executive said: "These latest figures show employment in the construction
14/03/2012
A new business centre that was built as a key part of plans to regenerate Stevenston has been hailed a success by the Scottish Government. The Grange, the new business and commercial centre in the heart of the town, developed by Irvine Bay Regeneration Company, has been officially opened by Alex Ne
14/03/2012
The hunt is on among hundreds of conference delegates to find the greenest driver, through a simulator competition launched by City Building, one of Scotland’s largest construction firms. Like the popular celebrity-filled leaderboard featured on Top Gear the idea is to find out who can show their
14/03/2012
Home building industry body Homes for Scotland has welcomed the launch of the "NewBuy" mortgage scheme in England and announced that customers looking to buy a new home north of the border won’t have long to wait until an equivalent scheme is available in Scotland. This follows last week’s confirma
14/03/2012
The Chair of the Health and Safety Executive has seen at first hand the initiative to create a safe and efficient work culture during the assembly of the two largest warships ever built in the UK. Judith Hackitt visited Rosyth Shipyard in Scotland recently to meet senior members of the Aircraft Car
14/03/2012
A small scots construction company are highlighting their talents in an imaginative way – by using their new headquarters as a "gallery" that showcases their abilities. Pacific Building Limited, whose prestigious client list includes burger giants McDonald’s, pub chain JD Wetherspoon, Gleneagles Ho
14/03/2012
Plans for a new £4m purpose-built secondary school for South Lanarkshire pupils with additional support needs have been given the go-ahead. The school, which will be built by Kier Construction and located in Blantyre, will provide education for up to 60 pupils with social, emotional and behavioural
14/03/2012
The Scottish Government is making clear progress on delivering its key housing plans, Housing Minister Keith Brown said today. He emphasised that investment in infrastructure had been prioritised by the Scottish Government, which set out it its 10 year strategy and action plan for housing in Scot
14/03/2012
A prize of £50,000 is on offer to software developers who can produce the best App to help businesses in Scotland reduce their carbon emissions. The Scottish Government, SSE, SEPA and Microsoft launched the national competition on Monday 12 March in an effort to produce an App targeted specifically
14/03/2012
Sutherland-based artist Gavin Lockhart has been commissioned to undertake the next stage of public art at John O’Groats, with a series of works celebrating the dramatic and changing coastline of Caithness. Following a public meeting last year on the future artistic shape of John O’Groats, Highlands
14/03/2012
Education Secretary Michael Russell has announced John McClelland has been appointed as chairman of Skills Development Scotland (SDS). Mr McClelland has extensive experience across the private and public sectors and has been interim chair of SDS since August 2010. Welcoming the appointment, Mr Rus
13/03/2012
A £1bn investment in wind farm projects across Scotland led by renewable energy developer Burcote Wind could create almost 600 jobs and power over half a million homes. The independent UK firm, which has its headquarters in Dunfermline, has plans to develop 10 wind farms at locations across Scotlan
13/03/2012
Infrastructure projects worth more than £300 million could get underway now if the UK Government gives Scotland the green light, Alex Neil said. The Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment was speaking as a list of 36 projects that are “shovel ready” was provided to Westminster
13/03/2012
Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing has visited the site of the first luxury apartment to be built in a major project to redevelop the John O'Groats House Hotel and strengthen the local tourism industry. As part of Scottish Tourism Week, Mr Ewing met representatives of Natural Retreats who are creating t
13/03/2012
The Highland Council’s Education Culture and Sport Committee has agreed to progress plans to build new Gaelic Medium Primary Schools to serve the Greater Fort William area and Portree, Skye, by agreeing preferred locations for detailed option appraisals and an accelerated timescale for the projects
13/03/2012
Edinburgh council tenants will be able to continue to shape the city’s housing services after the green light was given to include them in future decisions. The Tenant Participation Strategy 2012-2015 was approved at a meeting of the City of Edinburgh Council's Health, Social Care and Housing Commi
13/03/2012
A historic land holding which was once a stronghold for William Wallace and a battle ground for the Border Reivers is being offered for sale by leading Scottish property consultants, CKD Galbraith. The Talla and Gameshope, a substantial sheep farm extending to some 5,300 acres, is situated at the h
13/03/2012
Balfour Beatty Workplace has been appointed to provide facilities management services for a range of EDF Energy sites in the UK. The contract, worth over £9m per annum, is for a minimum of five years and will see Balfour Beatty Workplace provide site facilities management, maintenance, cleaning, se
13/03/2012
The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show takes place at The SECC, Glasgow from 19-20th May and is an opportunity to meet 7,000 serious self builders and Renovators with £385 million to spend over the next 12 months. Now in its twelfth year the show has worked for thousands of companies over the
12/03/2012
Scotland’s First Minister has toured one of the most successful manufacturing facilities in Europe and praised to its 240 staff. More than half the workers at Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries (RSBi) in Springburn, Glasgow, have a disability. First Minister Alex Salmond said: "Jobs are this
12/03/2012
Construction work is adding new depth to Aberdeen's £19M world-class aquatics centre with excavation of the 50 metre pool and diving area now complete. The GRAHAM Construction team is pushing ahead with development on the King Street site to create an elite and community sports facility that will e
12/03/2012
National trade body The Property Care Association holds its Certificated Surveyor in Remedial Treatment (CSRT) course in Stirling between May 15th and 17th. The trade body’s three day course is suitable for surveyors requiring general knowledge of potential issues surrounding damp buildings and da
12/03/2012
As part of its commitment to continued professional development, the Association of Building Engineers (ABE) has launched its 2012 prospectus of training and development opportunities. Featuring a range of established courses, including fire safety, structural design, management of buildings, and re
12/03/2012
Proposals for a temporary construction access to serve a housing development in Ellon have been turned down. Barratt Homes and Scotia Homes have permission to build 247 homes at the town’s Castle Meadows. Permission for the scheme had included an access road from Ellon’s Golf Road through Caroline
12/03/2012
Community groups in Scotland will be able to build, upgrade and improve sports and physical activity facilities with grants from a £10 million fund to encourage participation in sport in the wake of the Commonwealth Games, First Minister Alex Salmond announced today. Awards of up to £250,000 will b
12/03/2012
Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has expanded its Aberdeen office with a trio of surveyor appointments. Mark McQueen joins the firm as senior surveyor in its established and expanding commercial department, where he is joined by Alastair McBirnie as commercial surveyor, while Andrew Michel has been app
12/03/2012
Specialist fit-out and maintenance company, AGM Group, has been chosen as one of PSYBT’s Top 100 companies. The PSYBT report, which was published this week, celebrates the success of these companies and their impact on the Scottish economy. Andrew Meek, Managing Director of AGM Group, commented:
09/03/2012
Work is underway on the construction of Scottish Water's new National Operations Centre and replacement Glasgow office accommodation. Richard Ackroyd, Scottish Water's chief executive, formally marked the start of construction at the site of the state-of-the-art facility adjacent to the Buchanan Ga
09/03/2012
The Scottish Government is willing to discuss how Scotland’s plentiful water resources may help the continuing pressure on water supplies in South East England. Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, has written to the UK Government to offer Scottish assistance foll
09/03/2012
With construction now underway to build infrastructure for the multi-stakeholder Inverness Campus, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is working to attract new occupants to the site from around the UK and abroad. A number of plots are still available for new occupiers within phase one of the de
09/03/2012
A wheelbarrow first used in 1881 at a ceremony to mark the start of work on Aberdeen's Duthie Park was rolled out once more today as a major restoration project at the popular attraction gets under way. Lord Provost of Aberdeen Peter Stephen led the turf cutting ceremony at Duthie Park, which was a
09/03/2012
A north east architecture and space planning firm has continued its close association with local football by throwing its support behind a young Aberdeen team. Inverurie-based William Lippe Architects have provided sponsorship for Dyce Boys’ Club under 13 team to help them attend the 2012 Preston M
09/03/2012
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is announcing a £350,000 funding package for international business outsourcing company Capita to train more than 140 new employees in Moray. Capita, which employs 46,000 people worldwide, is growing its business at the Enterprise Park Forres. Following the a
09/03/2012
Licensed Icynene contractor Eco Insulate Ltd will be appearing at the Homebuilding and Renovating Show in Glasgow this year. The event, which takes place in May, attracts a good mix of self builders and home improvers representing an additional market to that of social housing providers with whom
09/03/2012
First Minister Alex Salmond has welcomed the announcement of proposals for £1 billion of investment in Scotland's wind energy industry, which could create almost 600 jobs and power more than half-a-million homes. Burcote Wind, which has its headquarters in Dunfermline, has plans to develop 10 wind
09/03/2012
Stirling tenants have moved into new sixteen homes built as part of a scheme delivering hundreds of new affordable homes across Scotland, Housing Minister Keith Brown said today. The National Housing Trust (NHT) allows developers and Councils to jointly fund homes with local authority loans to the
09/03/2012
The Business Secretary Vince Cable announced today that the first ever UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) will be based in Edinburgh and London. The headquarters of the GIB will be located in Edinburgh, with the GIB’s main transaction team based in London. This arrangement will enable a greater commerc
08/03/2012
Transport Minister Keith Brown has announced new details on the process for naming the new bridge being built across the Forth. It will begin with establishing an advisory panel made up of independent civic, business and community representatives from across Scotland, who will responsible for gathe
08/03/2012
Over 450,000 customers across Edinburgh and Midlothian will benefit from drinking water supplied by a new state-of-the-art water works, Alex Neil said today. The Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment was speaking as he switched on the tap at Scottish Water’s new Glencorse Wate
08/03/2012
Two Scottish artists, with an impressive award winning portfolio of projects from across the UK, have completed a long term artistic plan as part of the regeneration of John O'Groats. Funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Dalziel + Scullion consulted with local businesses, artists and t
08/03/2012
Capital investment remains 'absolutely key' to economic growth, Alex Salmond said recently as he highlighted emerging opportunities for pension funds to invest in Scotland’s infrastructure. The First Minister said both the UK and Scottish Governments must do everything possible to help unlock the '
08/03/2012
Drivers using the M8 near Glasgow Airport can expect delays from Friday 9th March, when essential repairs to the White Cart Viaduct on the M8 are due to re-start. As part of a £30m investment programme, essential strengthening works are being carried out on the M8 White Cart viaduct, which carries
08/03/2012
Figures published today by the Energy Saving Trust indicate that the Scottish Government is making significant progress on insulating Scottish homes and helping to protect hard-pressed families from rising energy price rises. The Estimates of Home Insulation Levels in Great Britain is captured fro
08/03/2012
A new category of housing could be introduced in Dundee after a successful trial proved its worth. Following a pilot scheme letting decommissioned sheltered housing to people over 45 or applicants with an appropriate medical condition, the new category of "Amenity Housing" could be brought in. The
08/03/2012
Minister for Housing and Transport Keith Brown has visited the A890 Stromeferry Landslip Site to see at first hand the scale of the problem. Mr Brown met with representatives from The Highland council to find out about the clear up operation underway and also met with local representatives to hear
07/03/2012
An official re-opening at Ayrshire’s biggest and best arts and entertainment centre has marked the completion of extensive external works. The launch event marks the culmination of over five years of improvement works to the building, which has seen East Ayrshire Council and partners at Creative Sc
07/03/2012
This week Scotland’s most historic street – the Royal Mile – will be given a fresh look in time for spring as Council staff, residents and businesses come together to spruce up the thoroughfare. People sitting at a cafe on the Royal Mile From Tuesday to Thursday volunteers will be tackling a range
07/03/2012
Members of the community and elected members took a tour of inspection of Galston’s Community Education Centre, to check progress on its £1 million refurbishment. Looking much brighter after its recent facelift, the Orchard Street centre is one of the first buildings to be developed as part of East
07/03/2012
Almost £4m of improvement works to council houses across Dundee could be set to get underway. Among a raft of works which will help to bring the city's housing stock up to Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015 is the installation of new kitchens and bathrooms in 348 flats at the Whorterbank and
07/03/2012
Work on the first Council houses to be built in Clackmannanshire for over 30 years will begin on site late March, early April. The £1.9 million project will see 16 new homes at The Orchard in Tullibody, as well as the former Dalmore Centre in Alva converted into five amenity houses for the elderly
07/03/2012
Aberdeenshire Council has awarded a contract for stabilisation works at Stonehaven’s Bervie Braes, meaning work should start this month. West Midlands firm Forkers Limited has secured the £2.4 million contract and work is expected to be complete by the end of September. Councillors decided recentl
07/03/2012
Aberdeen City Council is inviting artists to submit a proposal to create a temporary light art piece that will be located in the Correction Wynd tunnel. The aim of the commission, which will be installed later this year [autumn 2012], is to create a high quality artistic piece that will attract peo
07/03/2012
Douglas Gillespie Plant apprentice receives CMPE award for outstanding achievement Douglas Gillespie Plant (DGP) employee Christopher Ferguson, 26, from Linwood, Glasgow, has been presented with an award for outstanding achievement by the Contractors Mechanical Plant Engineers (CMPE). The award w
06/03/2012
The City of Edinburgh Council Leader, Councillor Jenny Dawe, has been invited to speak on challenges facing medium sized cities this week at MIPIM, the world's leading real estate exhibition and conference running from 6-9 March. As well as contributing alongside Malmo in Sweden, Utrecht in Holland
06/03/2012
Douglas Gillespie Plant, Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks dealer, has expanded its management team with the addition of industry specialist, Ian Law. In his new role as customer services manager, Ian will support the forklift supplier's existing employees in delivering the region's highest standards of c
06/03/2012
Up to 6,000 first-time buyers and others aspiring to purchase a new build home are set to receive a boost, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment Alex Neil has revealed. The Scottish Government will support a three year national mortgage indemnity scheme by providing a guarante
06/03/2012
Top quality entries were expected to an unusual competition offering a truly unique prize to young people in Irvine Bay – their very own bandstand. But the four shortlisted entries were of such a tremendous standard that a final decision has been delayed for a few days to allow the judges more time
06/03/2012
EnerMech have been awarded a £6.6 million contract by Apache North Sea Ltd to supply and install four new Blow Out Preventer (BOP) handling cranes on the Forties Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta platforms. The project, which will deliver four Stahl cranes and is expected to be completed by Q1 2013,
06/03/2012
Beattie Communications has begun generating its own green electricity. The PR agency has invested tens of thousands of pounds installing solar panels on the roof of its media village in the Scottish town of Falkirk. Glasgow firm Absolute Solar & Wind installed the 10kwp solar energy system. By gen
06/03/2012
A £6.5 million project to create a centre for excellence for digital health, research and education in Elgin has been given the go-ahead by Moray planners today. The Moray Life Sciences Centre will be built on the Moray College UHI campus will provide top class facilities to support and expand grou
02/03/2012
Lovell, who is building a major development of new council homes for West Lothian Council in Livingston, invited two local pupils on to site for some valuable work experience. Reece Tulloch and Dayle Collins, students at Inveralmond Community High School, Livingston, which neighbours the constructi
02/03/2012
Ministers today updated the Scottish Parliament on the 'significant benefits' being delivered to Scottish firms and the Scottish economy through the Forth Replacement Crossing project. Transport Minister Keith Brown said: "The FRC is the biggest transport infrastructure project in Scotland for a ge
02/03/2012
With the well publicised changes in the Feed in Tariff scheme for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations still exhibiting some uncertainty, Ayrshire firm Solar and Wind Applications (
02/03/2012
Edinburgh is the best performing of the four major cities in Scotland when it comes to looking after its historic buildings. A report today shows that the City of Edinburgh Council has the lowest percentage of Category ‘A’ listed buildings at-risk. Figures released this month reveal there are 24 C
02/03/2012
Highland construction employers have strongly welcomed Highland Council’s decision to approve a preferred route for the proposed Inverness West Link. Highland councillors made the decision at a meeting of the full Highland Council yesterday. The Highland Building Employers Association, the local b
02/03/2012
One of the country’s fastest growing renewable energy companies, Absolute Solar and Wind, is expanding its footprint across Scotland. The company, which is headquartered in Glasgow, has grown significantly over the past 12 months and is about to open new premises in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverne
01/03/2012
Work has begun on a £2.2m park and ride facility to serve commuters in the south east of the city. A total of 445 parking spaces, including 23 disabled spaces, will be created in the 2.7 hectare site and improvements made to existing bus facilities and services on the Aikenhead Road bus corridor.
01/03/2012
Power and knowledge sharing was the order of the day with the near completion of the Fife Renewables Innovation Centre at Energy Park Fife. Due to be completed late Spring, the building was today (Wednesday) connected to the Green Energy supply from the Hydrogen Office, which draws renewable power
01/03/2012
A parcel of land is now available for sale that offers a significant opportunity to develop a major new business community in Stirling. Joint agents CKD Galbraith and Thursz Property Consulting are marketing the 19.5-acre site on behalf of Moto Hospitality Ltd. Located adjacent to Moto’s Stirling
01/03/2012
Residents in one of Edinburgh’s largest block of flats are set to benefit from cheaper fuel bills thanks to the City of Edinburgh Council. A new £2.25m communal-heating system is being installed in Cables Wynd House as part of a major refurbishment programme for the building. This is the first suc
01/03/2012
One of Scotland’s leading construction firms has been appointed to a framework agreement to provide construction and refurbishment services to around 400 new and existing homes across Scotland. Home Scotland has appointed Glasgow-based City Building to the £40 million framework agreement to build
01/03/2012
The public are to be invited to provide feedback on proposals to develop a supermarket and petrol filling station at Newton Farm, Perth. Exciting plans to develop the Newton Farm site, adjacent to McDiarmid Stadium, were revealed in early February by property company, Manse LLP. The development wi
