Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Scotland Construction News Archive for April 2012
30/04/2012
The City of Edinburgh Council's Chief Executive, Sue Bruce, has marked a significant milestone in the development of Atria Edinburgh by filling in the last concrete slab on the highest floor of the building as part of a topping out ceremony. Atria Edinburgh, the Council's landmark Grade A office d
30/04/2012
Work has started on a footway and cycle path, to run from Easthaven to the site of the former Dowrie Works in Arbroath. The new path will extend from the existing Carnoustie to Easthaven cycleway, which was completed in 2009. Creation of the link between Easthaven and Arbroath will complete a con
30/04/2012
Dramatic changes in Highlands and Islands land ownership over the past 20 years are illustrated in one of two new maps which have just been published online. The rise of community ownership across the region since the pioneering achievements of the Assynt crofters in 1992/93 is shown in the first m
30/04/2012
The national standard for customer service has described the Planning and Building Standards service within the City of Edinburgh Council as open and approachable in their dealings with customers. The service was accredited with Customer Service Excellence following an assessment last month. The su
30/04/2012
Aberdeen City Council is set to host a key stage of the consultation into Aberdeen Airport's draft Master Plan 2012. Airport management team members will be at the new Marischal College reception on Wednesday 02 May, between 10am and 3pm, to showcase the draft plan and seek the public's views. Mem
30/04/2012
Clyde Windows and Construction has recently launched a brand new conservatory roof system to their product range targeting existing conservatory owners who cant use their conservatory in the summer as its too hot and then in the winter their conservatory is too cold. This roof system has a U-Value
30/04/2012
Figures released by NHBC have shown the gap between private and public sector registrations to build new homes in the UK continues to widen, with social housing showing a 54% decrease for March 2012, compared to March last year (2,460 - 5,330). Although private sector registrations to build new ho
30/04/2012
War heroes could benefit from millions of pounds being invested in two schemes to help first time buyers get on the property ladder, Housing Minister Keith Brown announced today. The Scottish Government is pumping an extra £13 million into its shared equity schemes to allow people who would not oth
30/04/2012
Urgent investment is required now in infrastructure projects to stimulate growth, First Minister Alex Salmond has said to the Prime Minister. Following this week’s GDP figures confirming that the UK had now officially re-entered recession with a significant fall in construction activity, the First
30/04/2012
Experian Identity & Fraud has revealed that fraudulent applications for mortgages increased by eight per cent in 2011, marking the fifth consecutive year in which the rate of mortgage fraud has increased. Around 34 in every 10,000 applications for mortgages were found to be fraudulent in 2011, com
27/04/2012
The Scottish Building Federation (SBF) has confirmed The Princess Royal Trust for Carers in Scotland as its official charity for the second year running. Recently re-elected SBF President Robbie Cooke presented The Trust’s Corporate Fundraising Manager for Scotland, Trish Brown, with a cheque for £
27/04/2012
Supplying a full project specification, security products from ASSA, part of ASSA ABLOY Security Solutions, a division of ASSA ABLOY UK, have been used throughout a new halls of residence development in Paisley. The University of the West of Scotland’s most northerly campus, in Paisley, caters for
27/04/2012
South Lanarkshire-based BHC Ltd (BHC), one of the UK’s leading structural steelwork fabricators and erectors, is to expand its business capability thanks to £3m of facilities from Royal Bank of Scotland Corporate & Institutional Banking (RBS CIB) and Lombard Asset Finance. Celebrating 20 years in
27/04/2012
Measures to prevent homelessness are being backed with extra Scottish Government funding this year, MSPs were informed. Housing Options Hubs will receive £150,000 for councils refocusing services to look at individuals' housing options in the widest sense. Council staff will provide households wit
27/04/2012
Communities and rural businesses all over Scotland can now apply to a £23.5 million government loan scheme to help them get community energy renewable projects up to the planning stage. The scheme is designed to make sure communities all over Scotland receive the maximum benefit possible from the p
27/04/2012
Approximately £420m worth of rates relief have been awarded across local authority areas since the introduction of the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) in 2008, Enterprise Minister Fergus Ewing said. A breakdown of savings by council area was published today, showing the biggest savings were reco
27/04/2012
Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has appointed Iain MacLaren as a Chartered Building Surveyor within its Glasgow office, the latest recruit to its expanding Scotland-wide building surveying team. A native of Glasgow, MacLaren graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University with an honours degree in buildi
27/04/2012
Scottish Building Federation Chief Executive Michael Levack has said the latest GDP figures published today by the Office of National Statistics make for grim reading – particularly for the construction sector. Confirming that the UK economy as a whole has slid back into recession, the figures show
26/04/2012
Historic Scotland’s Scheduling team is heading to Argyll in May to visit around 120 scheduled monuments across the region, and assess a number of new sites which may be scheduled for the first time. Scheduled monuments are of national importance and legally protected under the Ancient Monuments and
26/04/2012
Scottish Water has completed improvements to a reservoir which will benefit thousands of customers in parts of the Port Glasgow area. The £300,000 capital maintenance project at Knocknairshill reservoir will help ensure it continues to perform well for years to come. The reservoir provides water f
26/04/2012
Lovell has been appointed by North Lanarkshire Council to build a £3.7 million housing development at Viewpark in North Lanarkshire. The scheme, part of the council’s Building for the Future programme, will create 40 homes for social rent – 28 semi-detached homes (including two bungalows for wheelc
26/04/2012
A £1.5million project is set to revolutionise sporting opportunities in a West Lothian village. Blackburn United Community Football Club are set to benefit from a massive upgrade of their sporting facilities, thanks to a £1.15million investment from West Lothian Council and £400,000 from sportscotl
26/04/2012
Many residents in rural locations across the UK are not connected to mains gas so have to rely on domestic heating oil - costs of which have increased by 66 percent over the last three years (. By installing a small wind turbine, a growing number of these households and businesses are benefitting fr
26/04/2012
Investments made by development agency the Highlands and Islands Enterprise to stimulate growth and attract new business to the area are generating an increased turnover of £104m and supporting almost 1,500 jobs in region. HIE 2011-12 end of year results, reviewed by board members this week, reveal
26/04/2012
The A82 Pulpit Rock Improvement scheme took a step forward today when the notice for the main contract was published. Signalling the start of the procurement process, Transport Scotland has published the OJEU contract notice for the works which are expected to start in spring next year. The impro
26/04/2012
The University of St Andrews is to move ahead with plans to establish a Green Energy Centre and a Knowledge Exchange Centre for spin-out companies, new business and prototype testing on the site of the former Curtis Fine Papers Mill at Guardbridge. The University – which bought the vacant mill in 2
25/04/2012
Hub North Scotland joint venture has reached financial close on the first project in the North hub programme, the £24m Aberdeen Community Health and Care Village (Health Village). Comprising Alba Community Partnerships, Scottish Futures Trust and the 18 Northern Territory Partners, hub North Scotla
25/04/2012
A major refurbishment of a disused pub has completely transformed it from an eyesore that was blighting part of Scotland’s premier shopping thoroughfare into a fast-food restaurant boasting designer flair. The overhaul of the former Burns Bothy on South St Andrew Street, Edinburgh, just off world-
25/04/2012
Alex Salmond, the First Minister of Scotland, has joined an impressive line-up for the opening plenary conference session at All-Energy 2012, the UK’s largest renewable energy exhibition and conference, being held Wednesday 23 – Thursday 24 May at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC). H
25/04/2012
A new art exhibition celebrating life in GHA communities opens its doors this week – featuring work by the tenants themselves. The ‘High Flats’ project tells the stories of the residents living in GHA neighbourhoods, focusing in particular on the multi-storey flats in Knightswood, Townhead and Cran
25/04/2012
A local development officer has been employed to help a fragile community create an economic, social, and cultural plan for their future growth. South Kintyre Development Trust, has recruited Malcolm McMillan through an initiative being run by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). HIE is suppor
25/04/2012
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has today welcomed independent research which shows wind farms do not affect the choice of eight in ten tourists to visit Scotland and most people do not feel wind farms spoil the countryside. The independent research, commissioned by VisitScotland, shows that: •83
25/04/2012
The Board of The Miller Group, the award winning housebuilding, property development, construction and mining business, has appointed Philip Bowman as Chairman with effect from 23 April. He succeeds Sir Brian Stewart CBE who joined the business in 2008. Mr Bowman, 59, is the Chief Executive of glob
25/04/2012
A dormant whisky bottling plant in Coatbridge has been brought back into full production, creating 33 jobs in Lanarkshire. Finance Secretary John Swinney, officially opened Angus Dundee Distillers modernised facility today (24 April). He also toured the buildings and warehouses that have been broug
25/04/2012
Fergus Ewing, Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, visited BSW Timber’s Dalbeattie sawmill on Monday (23 April) to mark the completion of a £7 million investment programme for the UK’s largest single site sawmill. BSW’s investment has seen the Dalbeattie site increase annual production to
25/04/2012
Lawrence McPherson Associates has signed up to support this years Architect in the House 2012 initiative to raise money for Shelter. Architect in the House is an innovative scheme run by Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity, and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The firm
24/04/2012
An unassuming corner of Paisley's west end has received a makeover to mark a historic Paisley case which changed the legal system forever. The work has been carried out by Renfrewshire Council with contributions from Co-op Funeralcare and Reid Kerr College, ahead of the 80th anniversary of the land
24/04/2012
A leaflet outlining the next steps in the finalisation of Orkney’s Local Development Plan, including a consultation which will run from May 7 to June 11, will be delivered to every household in Orkney from April 30. Susan Shearer, OIC’s Senior Planner (Development Planning and Regeneration) said: "
24/04/2012
A £3 million town centre improvement project has started in Wishaw. The streetscape project along Main Street, will create a more attractive place for shoppers, residents, local businesses and visitors. The creation of a more pedestrian friendly town centre is one of the key aims of the improvemen
24/04/2012
A section of Leith’s 16th century town ditch which formed part of its historic defences were uncovered ahead of a proposed housing development at the site. Archaeological excavations are taking place throughout April and into the first part of May in the hope of discovering more about the history o
24/04/2012
Aberdeen-based Aiken Group has just completed a significant contract which brings about a geographical first for the multi-discipline firm. From its Torry headquarters, Aiken Group manufactured three communications modules comprising one A60 safe area and two A60 Zone 11 for use by Westhill-based c
24/04/2012
The Scottish Government’s commitment to renewable energy is already producing thousands of jobs across the country and will generate tens of thousands more, First Minister Alex Salmond said today as recent investment announcements in offshore wind, wave and tidal power were highlighted in a newly-pu
24/04/2012
Staff in Moray Council’s criminal justice team are being trained in the use of specialised equipment to reinstate fallen gravestones. The training will enable them to supervise similar work which will be carried out by offenders who are made the subject of community payback orders by the courts.
24/04/2012
Lawrence McPherson Associates have submitted a scheme for planning consent for a 60 Bed Premier Inn and Beefeater Restaurant on behalf of Whitbread plc, at Forthside in Stirling. Located to the East of Stirling town centre, the site has views of the River Forth which runs along the northern boundar
24/04/2012
A report has been issued to Councillors calling for the construction of the new Portobello High School to begin as soon as the current appeal by PPAG (Portobello Park Action Group) is either withdrawn or concluded in the Council’s favour. If the report is approved at the Council meeting next week,
24/04/2012
East Lothian Council has secured Scottish Government funding for loft and cavity wall insulation. Households are entitled to the free energy saving measures under the East Lothian Council Free Insulation Offer, delivered through the Scottish Government’s Home Energy Scotland Hotline. Although wint
23/04/2012
One of Scotland’s largest construction companies has received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development in recognition of its social and environmental work. The awards, which are seen as the most prestigious prizes available to UK businesses, come as the Queen prepares to celebrate
23/04/2012
TrustMark, the Government endorsed quality mark for tradesmen, is pleased to see the Citizens Advice Bureaux being given an enlarged role under proposals designed to simplify consumer protection for the public. Stuart Carter, Head of PR & Marketing, TrustMark, said: "By streamlining the consumer la
23/04/2012
New homes 'think tank', The Futures Group, has published a detailed report setting out the industry’s agreed view on how to rise to the challenge of delivering better homes for the consumer. The groundbreaking report, Building Better Homes for the Customer, brings together a wide cross-section of
23/04/2012
Lovell has been appointed by Alliance, a partnership of the three largest housing consortia in the UK - Fusion21, Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) and Procurement For Housing (PfH) - to a £300 million heating maintenance framework. Lovell, which has a Glasgow office, is one of a number of companie
23/04/2012
Local people are being asked for their views on the future development of land in West Dunbartonshire. West Dunbartonshire Council's Local Development Plan is the document used by the Council to identify development opportunities for new housing, industry and retail. It also looks at areas that nee
23/04/2012
A GHA horticultural apprentice has scooped a top national award. Carly McNeill, 18, was named Horticultural Student of the Year by the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society. She was presented with her award, known as The Carter Patterson Memorial Medal, by Jim McColl from BBC’s The Beechgrove Gar
23/04/2012
The residents of Bield’s care home at Langvout Court in Biggar now have a beautiful re-vamped garden to while away the hours and appreciate local wildlife all thanks to a funding boost from players of a charity lottery. Bield was awarded £4,860 by People’s Postcode Trust, a grant-giving charity, fu
23/04/2012
A Kingdom project has received excellent EcoHomes accreditation. The £1.2 million project was funded by Kingdom Housing Association in conjunction with the Scottish Government and Fife Council. The project was designed by Oliver and Robb Architects and each house includes a range of energy saving
23/04/2012
Ayrshire Housing has given a new social purpose to what was until recently the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Good Shepherd in Ayr. Today, Ayrshire Housing’s Chair Paul Torrance welcomed Mrs Margaret Connor and all her neighbours to their new homes. Mrs Connor has moved to a house especially adapt
23/04/2012
Aberdeenshire Council and Historic Scotland have completed negotiations over the transfer of Banff visitor attraction Duff House. Following positive discussions, operation of the facility will be transferred to Historic Scotland. The historic venue is operated under a partnership involving Aberdee
20/04/2012
A Dumfries based group has been awarded a grant from Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership’s Community Pride Fund. Kaleidescope, a group supporting people with mental health issues, picked up £1,420 from DGHP’s Nithsdale District Management Committee to help involve their service users in their
20/04/2012
In a sure sign of mounting confidence in the outlook of the housing market in the south side of Glasgow, Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has recruited a graduate residential surveyor at its Glasgow South office in Shawlands. Charlie Gilmour brings a wealth of experience to the firm. Having graduated i
20/04/2012
The concourse building at Dundee Railway Station could be in line for a £14m redevelopment, including provision of a hotel, if councillors back the move next week. A funding package including £8.6m from Dundee City Council, £2m from European Regional Development Grant and £1m from the Scottish Gov
20/04/2012
A contractor has been selected to take forward ground investigation work as part of the Inveramsay Bridge improvement works. Allied Exploration and Geotechnics Ltd have been selected to carry out the £250,000 ground investigations work at the site. The work is programmed to start in June and is exp
20/04/2012
Pipeline isolation specialist, STATS Group, has appointed two new directors as it gears up for major international expansion following a £7.8 million equity investment. Former Expro executive chairman, Graeme Coutts, takes on a non-executive role in what is his first appointment since retiring fro
20/04/2012
A bid to turn St Andrews into one of the greenest communities in the UK has won a £347,770 grant from the Scottish Government. A bid to the Government’s Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) by the University of St Andrews’ environmental awareness project, Transition, in conjunction with the community’s St
20/04/2012
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth, John Swinney, today announced the re-appointment of Crawford Gillies as Chair of Scottish Enterprise. Scottish Enterprise is the Scottish Government’s main agency for economic development in North East, Central and Lowland Scotla
20/04/2012
A team of government and industry leaders from Japan’s eastern seaboard are set to come to Scotland to plan for the development of marine energy in Japan following an invitation by Finance Secretary John Swinney. Iwate Prefecture was one of the areas worst affected by last year’s tsunami and subseq
19/04/2012
Over 90 students from Robert Gordon University’s School of Engineering pitted their wits against each other by racing ‘land yachts’ along a stretch of Aberdeen’s coastline on Friday 13 April. The third-year Mechanical Engineering students have been hard at work over the past 3 months designing, con
19/04/2012
Outline plans to lease the Leith Theatre and Thomas Morton Hall complex in Ferry Road to the Leith Theatre Trust (LTT) are set to be considered by the Council's Culture and Leisure Committee next week. The Trust's vision for the facility is to develop it as a cultural hub, creating a place where pe
19/04/2012
The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) set out the case for the Scottish Government to use its new borrowing powers to invest in badly-needed new affordable housing, as the Scottish Parliament debated the Scotland Bill on Wednesday. Mary Taylor, Chief Executive of the SFHA, said: "
19/04/2012
Kilmarnock’s Foregate car park is awash with colour following the installation of its newly re-coated gable artwork. The car park sculpture scooped first place in Brighten Scotland – the national competition to find a public structure in need of a re-vamp using colour – and has been treated to a th
19/04/2012
An opportunity to work in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland to design and build an exemplar housing model to showcase how the latest principles in resource efficiency can be applied in house-building is being offered to architects, builders and developers, it has been announced. Zero Waste Scot
19/04/2012
The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show is returning to the SECC on 19-20 May and will be packed to the rafters with over 140 specialist companies, 1000s of products to compare, unbeatable expert advice, and unmissable talks! Get two free tickets to the show by clicking the following link
19/04/2012
A funding package worth more than £7m could kick start the building of 75 flats on a prominent city site, if councillors back the move. The cash, from Dundee City Council, backed by the Scottish Government's National Housing Trust (NHT) scheme will allow local developer Keiller Estates to build at
19/04/2012
Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership (DGHP) has announced that Cruden has won its major £15 million contract to complete all the regeneration sites in Dumfries and Stranraer. The company, one of Scotland’s largest independently owned development and construction groups, has an annual turnover
19/04/2012
The next phase of regeneration at a Dundee housing scheme will come a step closer next week as councillors are asked to approve a £306,833 demolition tender. Work to pull down 61 flats and 14 lock up garages in Mill o'Mains is scheduled to start by the end of next month, clearing the way for a seco
19/04/2012
Edinburgh and Lothians tourism chiefs are welcoming the completion of Scottish Water’s investment at the Roslin Waste Water Treatment Works. The £400,000 project has helped to release additional capacity within the local network, allowing for the construction of the Rosslyn Chapel visitor centre.
18/04/2012
Glasgow Riverside Museum is in the running to win the £100,000 Art Fund Prize 2012. The Museum, at which Mivan delivered a £5m interiors package as Principal Contractor, has been long listed for the Art Fund Prize 2012. This is the UK’s annual museum of the year award, and the biggest prize for t
18/04/2012
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs today, announced the latest rounds of Historic Scotland’s Building Grants funding at Riddle’s Court, Lawnmarket in Edinburgh, which forms part of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site. She said: "I am delighted that Historic Scotland’s £4,0
18/04/2012
Scottish Water is about to start a major project which will upgrade a key part of its waste water infrastructure in Dumbarton. The £840,000 investment will be carried out at the Castlegreen Waste Water Pumping Station in the Castlegreen area of the town. The work, which will include the refurbishm
18/04/2012
North Planning Applications Committee members have confirmed the reasons why the council refused an application from Combined Power and Heat (Highlands) Limited to erect a residual waste to energy combined heat and power plant on land at the Cromarty Firth Industrial Park in Invergordon. Members ma
18/04/2012
Work has begun on the £250,000 refurbishment of Clyde Square in Greenock. Paving slabs will be replaced by high quality materials to tie-in with the new £2 million Customer Service Centre in the Municipal Buildings and landscaped areas will be improved. Pedestrian access will be limited while the
18/04/2012
Lovell has received three national Considerate Constructors awards for two high-rise refurbishment schemes for Glasgow Housing Association and a new-build regeneration development in Craigmillar, Edinburgh, for joint venture company PARC. The Considerate Constructors Scheme awards recognise constru
18/04/2012
Potential development options for the Robert Gordon University's city centre campus are laid out in a document to be considered by councillors. RGU is consolidating all of its academic activities at its Garthdee campus and the relocation will result in the city centre campus properties becoming sur
18/04/2012
GHA’s award-winning Big Red Truck – an interactive, mobile exhibition which tells the story of Glasgow’s housing – is back on the road. The truck, which was launched last year, made its first appearance of 2012 at the Riverside Museum this week (April 16 and 17) before starting a tour of festivals,
18/04/2012
The UK will need Scotland’s green energy to help keep its lights on whatever the constitutional future holds, Energy Minister Fergus Ewing today told the UK Parliament’s Committee on Energy and Climate Change. Giving evidence to its inquiry into energy and climate change in an independent Scotland,
18/04/2012
The ongoing issue of hard-to-treat walls in the UK can be overcome using Spacetherm - an ultra-thin insulation for thermal upgrades saving valuable space without altering the exterior fabric of the building. One project that benefited from this ultra-thin insulation was at 20 Follet Street, Tower H
18/04/2012
More than 270,000 private sector tenants in Scotland will get better protection and improved services, under plans unveiled by the Scottish Government today. As well as helping people deal with the small number of rogue landlords, a consultation launched by Housing Minister Keith Brown, will help i
17/04/2012
A new supermarket and filling station could be built on the site of the former Summerhill Academy in Aberdeen. Members of the City Council's Development Management Sub-Committee are to consider the application for Morrisons, when they meet in the Town House on Thursday [19 April]. Planning officer
17/04/2012
The gap has been bridged between shopping centres in Cumbernauld and by the end of next month visitors and residents are expected to set foot on a spectacular new crossing. In a delicate, four-night operation using two cranes, the first section of stairway, three lengths of bridge deck and 10 suppo
17/04/2012
The Building Research Establishment (BRE) and CIH Scotland have announced their collaboration on Energy Performance Certification (EPC) and learning services for the housing sector in Scotland. BRE and the CIH Scotland have put in place a collaborative agreement for the development and delivery of
17/04/2012
Staff and pupils gathered at Clovenfords Primary School today to celebrate their first day in the new school. The school is situated in the heart of the village, greatly improving accessibility to pupils and the community. It contains five classrooms, a general purpose room, nursery, multi-use gam
17/04/2012
Perth’s AK Bell Library is to close its doors for a month while refurbishment work is carried out to improve the range of services and facilities on offer. The library will close at 12pm on Saturday 14th April, and reopen on Monday 14th May. During the closure a number of key improvements will be
17/04/2012
A group of apprentices will gain valuable skills and experience in a traditional rural job, as a result of new funding. Forestry Commission Scotland’s Skills Programme is the first forestry apprenticeship scheme to receive European Structural Funds backing in the current funding round, which provid
17/04/2012
A delegation representing Orkney Islands Council and renewables developers will be at Holyrood on Wednesday (April 18) when the Scottish Parliament debates proposals for grid transmission charges from the energy regulator Ofgem. The Council is concerned that the cost of exporting electricity could
17/04/2012
For the third consecutive year Barratt Homes East Scotland has achieved the maximum 5 star housebuilder rating in an annual customer satisfaction survey run by the Home Builders Federation. The independent UK-wide survey, completed by 23,000 UK home buyers during October 2010 to September 2011, re
17/04/2012
The site of the old Kirkcaldy Town Abattoir has been commemorated by an impressive sandstone shield, which has been placed on ground that is now part of the Post Office sorting office in Kirkcaldy. The stone feature used to adorn the front entrance to the abattoir and since the building was demolis
17/04/2012
Clackmannanshire Council, has been working with partners Ochil View Housing Association and Paragon Housing Association, to achieve simpler and fairer access to social rented housing in Clackmannanshire. As from 16th April 2012 you only need to contact one of the above landlords and complete one re
17/04/2012
Finance Secretary John Swinney has welcomed the announcement of a Scottish-Japanese partnership to invest in oil and gas and renewables opportunities in Scotland and internationally. Mr Swinney met with senior executives of Japan’s Mitsui & Co. in Tokyo as details were announced of its strategic pa
16/04/2012
Barr Construction, one of Scotland’s leading construction companies, is demonstrating the caring side to construction by lending its backing to a new TV show which goes behind the scenes with the Scottish SPCA. Animal 999 is a new eight-part series which seeks to highlight the good work being carri
16/04/2012
A leading North east architecture and space planning firm is celebrating after scooping an accolade in a prestigious North east awards scheme. Inverurie-based William Lippe Architects received a commendation at the recent Aberdeen Society of Architects’ (ASA) awards, sponsored by timber product sup
16/04/2012
Icynene Approved Installer eco Insulate Ltd have expanded their area of operations to include Tyne and Wear, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Humberside and Wales. The company will be providing an improved service to these areas by dedicating a number of resources ensuring clients receive a promp
16/04/2012
Twenty-six lucky youngsters took time out from school on a sunny morning to visit Kilmarnock’s eyecatching new landmark – the floral clock at the top of John Finnie Street. But the Loanhead P4 pupils were not just there to look. They had plenty of questions for the workers on site – and even had a
16/04/2012
Banff Swimming Pool is to benefit from a major upgrade by Aberdeenshire Council. The £400,000 project will include improvements to the facility’s pool tank, foyer and changing rooms and will also see the installation of a new air-handling unit to help keep the pool environment stable and more welco
16/04/2012
Tenants have been moving into new homes in Wishart Court, Laurencekirk and Arduthie Gardens, Stonehaven recently following the completion of new developments by Aberdeenshire Council. The Housing and Social Work Service continues to work to secure affordable housing with private developers, registe
16/04/2012
ScotRail has announced a £1million programme of improvements in passenger facilities at 19 stations in Glasgow and Lanarkshire in the run up to the Commonwealth Games in 2014. This will meet a commitment to Scottish Ministers to deliver enhancements to support spectators travelling by rail to the G
16/04/2012
Work on making safe the A 890 road between Lochcarron and Kyle following a major rock fall in December, last year, is nearing completion and The Highland Council is targeting Monday 23 April for a full re-opening of the route. From Saturday 14 April, work will commence on dismantling and removing t
16/04/2012
Local election candidates are being urged to make investment in building projects a top priority as a new report shows the Scottish construction industry has generated more than £300 in added value to the local economy for every £100 local authorities have invested in capital projects since the last
16/04/2012
An £8 million contract to build a major new smolt facility for Marine Harvest has been awarded to the infrastructure, support services and construction group Robertson. The new smolt recirculation unit at Lochailort will sit on a site which has a long history in aquaculture as it was at this locat
13/04/2012
Paint brand Johnstone’s has joined forces with Barr Construction to provide a community centre in Glasgow with a stunning makeover. The two companies have donated 200 litres of Johnstone’s Covaplus Vinyl Matt Emulsion, Vinyl Silk Emulsion and Professional Gloss in Brilliant White to bring the Kinn
13/04/2012
Robertson, the infrastructure, support services and construction group, have begun work on the construction of seven luxury new homes, located in one of Edinburgh’s most desirable neighbourhoods. The project is being delivered for the private developer Strawberry Scotland. Following the completion
13/04/2012
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
13/04/2012
Rouken Glen Park has taken its next crucial steps to gaining £3.2m of funding. For the second round bid has been submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fun Parks for People project. Parks for People offers grants for projects that regenerate public parks of national, regional or local heritage value.
13/04/2012
Visitors to Kilmardinny Loch can take a pew on a new carved log seat that’s more like a work of art than a bench, following an initiative between East Dunbartonshire Council Neighbourhood Services and the Kilmardinny PALS. Carved out of a large felled beech log by Iain Chalmers from the Black Isle’
13/04/2012
The "Good Life" is coming to the Gartnavel campus with a Sow and Grow initiative that could spread to other NHS sites throughout Glasgow and Clyde. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had joined forces with urban food growing company SAGE (Sow and Grow Everywhere) to instal “pop-up” growing cubes at Gart
13/04/2012
The Glasgow office of Lovell has given a major boost to the fundraising drive to build the UK’s first sporting centre of excellence for disabled people. The company, based in Scotland at the Glasgow Business Park, Baillieston, has presented Bellshill-based recycling project Yooz with a bumper donat
13/04/2012
They may still be at school, but three young local entrepreneurs are already working on their first commission – which will be very much in the public eye. St Joseph’s Academy sixth year pupils Steven Bracki, Liam Gallagher and Siobhan Connelly have been commissioned by the Klin Group to create win
13/04/2012
A path connecting Dunbeg Primary School with the housing in the Lorn Road area of the village has got 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. It has
13/04/2012
First-time buyers and those on council house waiting lists are among those eligible to buy new affordable housing in Turriff. Aberdeenshire Council, in partnership with IHM (TURRIFF) Ltd, currently has two one-bedroom flats available for £70,000 at McDonald Court, The Square, Turriff. The properti
12/04/2012
Aberdeen-based Aiken Group has announced 8,500 square foot expansion of its Torry headquarters to cope with an upturn in business. The workshop space has been acquired by the Group’s modular division, Modu-Link to allow expansion of its turnkey services for the provision of A, H and Blast rated mod
12/04/2012
The second phase of Aberdeen's new-build council housing programme is now complete and tenants are making themselves at home. Marchburn Park, Marchburn Drive, Northfield, comprises 35 properties – 18 two-bedroom flats and 17 three-bedroom houses – and is conveniently located within walking distance
12/04/2012
Areas across Edinburgh are set for a facelift this month as a £153,000 clean up kicks off. This welcome investment was announced in February as part of the £2 million in extra funding made available by the City of Edinburgh Council. A total of £650,000 of that was earmarked for street cleansing and
12/04/2012
Work has begun on Edinburgh Council’s Quality Bike Corridor scheme, which runs between the Mound and the University of Edinburgh’s King’s Buildings campus. The scheme will include new or extended cycle lanes along the length of the route, and also three new sections of bus lane. Modifications to ex
12/04/2012
Clackmannanshire Council has completed major road improvements on one of the busiest routes in the county. Road works began on the A907 between Marywood Roundabout and the Gartarry roundabout on Sunday 11th March 2012 and were completed on schedule. The road, the main route into Clackmannan/Alloa
12/04/2012
Lovell – which is marking its tenth anniversary in Scotland this year – celebrated in style at the CIH Scotland Annual Conference and Exhibition, held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow recently. As well as being the main sponsor of the event, Glasgow-based Lovell won the acc
12/04/2012
Construction companies are being offered the opportunity to bid for two major roads projects in south Scotland. Procurement begins this month on both the A75 Dunragit Bypass and the A77 Symington to Bogend Toll schemes. Tender notices for both schemes will be published this month in the first stag
12/04/2012
A Scottish specialist engineering company launched less than a year ago has won a prestigious business accolade at the inaugural Edinburgh Chamber Business Awards. Xi Engineering Consultants scooped the ‘Most Promising New Business’ award at the event which saw some of the capital’s leading compani
12/04/2012
Housing associations and co-operatives need clarity about where funding will come from to meet the proposed expectation to provide housing support to tenants, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) said today. The Federation has submitted its response to the Scottish Government’s co
12/04/2012
Welcome to the second instalment of tips to create a greener home from eco expert Tim Pullen. Tim will be presenting two seminars each day at The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show entitled Energy Efficiency - The Ten Best Eco Home Investments You Can Make and Choosing The Right Heating System
11/04/2012
Finance Secretary John Swinney outlined the range of new business incentives that are available to encourage private investment in Scotland’s four new Enterprise Areas, during a visit to the Port of Dundee this morning. Incentives and actions to stimulate investment include: business rate discounts
11/04/2012
A compulsory scheme to safeguard millions of pounds in deposits paid by tenants renting properties in Scotland has been approved by Housing Minister Keith Brown. Annually, tenancy deposits amount to over £74 million in the majority of the 273,000 households that make up the private rented sector in
11/04/2012
Construction of the A737 Dalry Bypass took a step forward today when the invite to carry out the main ground investigation works was published. Transport Scotland has published the OJEU notice for the works which are expected to start later this summer. Transport Minister Keith Brown said: "It es
11/04/2012
Drivers in the north east will welcome news that a notorious bottleneck is a stage closer to being removed, Transport Minister, Keith Brown, announced today. The Minister was speaking as he announced details of the preferred option for the Inveramsay Bridge improvements. Following public consultati
11/04/2012
Acting on behalf of Landlord Trustees of Elcombe Pension Fund, Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has secured leases for a trio of trade and retail units at Inveralmond Industrial Estate in Perth. The surveyor has let two units, amounting to 5000 sq ft, to Brookbank Canoes, the largest UK supplier of pad
11/04/2012
Scottish Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead met with TOTAL Managing Director Phillipe Guys this morning at the company’s Aberdeen headquarters, where he was updated on progress towards resolving the continuing gas flow at the Elgin Platform. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Lochhead said: "I had
11/04/2012
Scottish Borders Council recently specified Licensed Icynene contractor Eco Insulate Ltd to carry out insulation work in the roof space of St Boswell’s Primary School near Melrose. Icynene LD-C-50 classic foam was sprayed directly onto the underside of roofing felt and roof sarking in 3 different ar
11/04/2012
The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show is returning to the SECC from 19-20 May and will be packed to the rafters with over 200 specialist companies, 1000s of products to compare, unbeatable expert advice, and unmissable talks! We are offering all Build Scotland readers a FREE pair of tickets
11/04/2012
Households in every local authority area in Scotland will be offered free insulation measures under the Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS). The Scottish Government is investing over £16 million to fund UHIS throughout 2012-13. The scheme, administered by local authorities, offers a range of
11/04/2012
Blairs Windows, one of the UK’s finest timber window and door manufacturer, has partnered with Sikkens who have a strong UK industry background in their field of wood finishes. Allan French of Blairs enthused: "Blairs has represented best-of-the best class quality for over 100 years. This makes our
05/04/2012
Global semiconductor company Broadcom has moved into Westport 102, a landmark Grade A building in the heart of Edinburgh’s Exchange District. Broadcom has signed a 10 year lease with break option at year five for 6,135 sq ft on the 5th floor. The move sees Broadcom relocate 28 staff from its previo
05/04/2012
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s mental health strategy for Inverclyde is now completed with the opening of the new Intensive Psychiatric Care Unit (IPCU) at Inverclyde Royal Hospital. The new Langhill Clinic was opened by NHSGGC chairman Andrew Robertson. NHSGGC has invested £7million in the new L
05/04/2012
Shetland firm Frank L Johnston (Shetland) Ltd. has won the contract to complete the works at the new Walls pier. This follows a tendering exercise which was concluded last week. It is anticipated that work on-site will resume later this month. "We’ve been very encouraged by the keen interest in t
05/04/2012
The Highland Council has launched a public consultation on the Main Issues Report which will be used to inform the preparation of the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan. The consultation will last for 12 weeks and follows the lead set by the Highland-wide Local Development Plan to address l
05/04/2012
Moray Council has granted planning permission for a new Baxters food production unit at Fochabers within six weeks of the application being submitted – well within the government target. Councillor Stewart Cree, chairman of the council’s planning and regulatory services committee, said it reflected
05/04/2012
Historic images of the original architectural drawings of the Forth Bridge, Paddington station and even Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s signature have been captured and published for the first time on a new Network Rail virtual archive, bringing together 19th century engineering and 21st century technolog
05/04/2012
Industrial cleaning and environmental waste management specialist, the MSIS Group, has continued its rapid growth after seeing its turnover increase by an impressive 50 per cent during 2011. Hot on the heels of the group moving to a new, larger North-east base, the company has announced its year-en
05/04/2012
Scottish companies are being reminded that they can spread the cost of the inflationary increase in business rates through the Scottish Government’s rate deferral scheme for 2012-13. The scheme gives companies the flexibility to defer the uplift in their 2012-13 business rates bills over three year
05/04/2012
First Minister Alex Salmond today announced an exciting new chapter in the history of Kilmarnock College by giving the go-ahead to the procurement process for the construction of a new £50 million campus on the site of the former Diageo premises in the town. The investment will enable the construct
05/04/2012
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has today granted consent for the Viking wind farm on Shetland, which will power more than 175,000 homes and bring around £30 million annual income for the local community. The 370 MW wind farm, the third biggest in Scotland, will be able to power more than sixteen time
04/04/2012
The most northerly hotel in Britain is preparing for the summer 2012 season following a £70,000 refurbishment and internal upgrade programme developed with assistance from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The upgrade of the Baltasound Hotel has included rebuilding of the bedrooms and kitchen
04/04/2012
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing today welcomed the launch of the Department for Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) Carbon Capture and Storage Competition. Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said: "I welcome the launch of DECC's Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Competition despite two previous false starts,
04/04/2012
People in Penicuik can now find out more about the new extra care housing facility in the town. The development is based on an approach successfully adopted elsewhere in the UK providing a real alternative to traditional residential care. A 3D model of the development is the centre piece of a ne
04/04/2012
Voltage optimisation company EMSc (UK) Ltd is offering public sector executives the chance to attend a free Continuing Professional/Personal Development (CPD) seminar on voltage optimisation and its associated benefits, which include energy savings, reduced carbon emissions, and financial returns.
04/04/2012
A Fife engineering company has been fined £10,000 after a lathe weighing more than a tonne toppled onto a worker’s leg. Craig Stewart, 21, worked for AG Brown Ltd, a metal fabrication company which specialises in making stairs and other metal products for the oil and gas industries and general cons
04/04/2012
Homeowners and Developers requiring a swift sale of their properties now have a new route to finding a buyer as a result of a new alliance between Scotland’s leading independent property consultancy, CKD Galbraith, and PXS Properties. Recognising the continuing constraints faced by vendors attempti
04/04/2012
In 2009 Shepherd Chartered Surveyors reported that commercial property deals are like buses – you wait for what seems like forever for one to come along and then you get all six at the one time. Whilst the market is certainly still challenging, David Maxwell in J&E Shepherd’s Edinburgh office has s
04/04/2012
Parris Wilson ,11, and Megan Robertson, 14, have won the Scottish Civic Trust PhotoArch competition 2012. Their winning photos were chosen from over 630 entries submitted by primary and secondary schools across Scotland. Prizes and certificates for the winning, commended and highly commended ent
03/04/2012
Robert Fox – a joiner with one of Scotland’s leading construction firms – has made it to the final of the Young Scot Awards after setting up a football club for under 16s in Glasgow’s Croftfoot. The Young Scot Awards, in association with The Co-operative Foundation, will take place on 26 April 201
03/04/2012
The Minister for Youth Employment, Angela Constance, today announced that Mr Paul McKelvie OBE has been appointed as Scotland Commissioner to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES). Mr McKelvie succeeds Mr Willy Roe OBE whose tenure as Scotland Commissioner ended on 31 March 2012. We
03/04/2012
Social housing in Scotland entered a new era today, as Housing and Transport Minister, Keith Brown MSP, launched Scotland’s first Social Housing Charter. Affecting over 600,000 households, the Social Housing Charter sets 16 standards and outcomes that all social landlords should be achieving for th
03/04/2012
Plans to reinvigorate Glasgow city centre have been given the green light, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment Alex Neil confirmed today. Glasgow City Council’s £80m Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) scheme for the Buchanan Quarter, which is expected to unlock £310 million in
03/04/2012
Scotland’s Crofting Commission is now open for business – and Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson met the new commissioners for the first time today. The Crofting Commission – which was established on April 1 and supersedes the Crofters Commission – aims to meet the needs of crofting and crofter
03/04/2012
The most northerly brewery in the UK will open its doors to the public on Sunday 15 April for the grand launch of its new brewery premises. Valhalla Brewery, based on the Shetland island of Unst, has completed a move to new larger building after outgrowing its previous site. The £103,000 project
03/04/2012
In an ambitious initiative to create powerful new partnerships between universities and Scottish businesses, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), working with Scottish Enterprise (SE) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), is making up to £10 million available in the first instance to support th
03/04/2012
Transport Minister Keith Brown today delivered an early Easter boost for passengers when he announced a £30million programme of improvements for railway stations across Scotland. The decision was widely welcomed by passenger groups and business leaders. The package could see new stations delivere
02/04/2012
Robertson, the infrastructure, support services and construction group have begun work on a multi-million pound project at St Andrews, one of the finest golf destinations in the world. The state-of-the-art storage facility for charity organisation St Andrews Links Trust is on the site of a former c
02/04/2012
Plans to carry out a £100m redevelopment of Aberdeen Airport over the next 30 years have been unveiled, reveals the BBC. The blueprint master plan includes a major refurbishment of the terminal building and space for further runway expansion and is estimated to provide employment to approximately 1
02/04/2012
Unitek will launch their dual wall system at the homebuilding and renovating show at the SECC Glasgow 19th-20th May. The Unitek Dual Wall system employs modern but established timber frame techniques along with sustainable and recycled insulation products. The panel design that only requires a sing
