Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Scotland Construction News Archive for March 2013
28/03/2013
A new £2.5m out-of-town restaurant for Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) has been completed by fast-construction experts Pacific Building. According to allmediascotland.com, the completion of Toby Carvery – which is located just off the M8 motorway, on the outskirts of Glasgow – marks the start of a lucra
28/03/2013
East Ayrshire Council's plans for further investment in local infrastructure for East Ayrshire have been approved. The Council's current 10-year Capital Investment Programme has been in place since 2009-10, with a value of £200m. However, under the new proposals, the plan will be extended to 2022-
28/03/2013
US tycoon Donald Trump has pulled out of any future investment to his £750m golf resort in Aberdeenshire. The news comes after the Scottish Government approved plans to build an offshore wind farm near to his Menie estate, The Scotsman has reported. However, Mr Trump also vowed he would spend "wh
28/03/2013
A new council service for owners of shared properties looking to organise repairs is to launch next week. The Shared Repairs Service will provide advice and information to owners through the process of organising repairs; this can range from finding a contractor to arranging payments. It will also
28/03/2013
House building firm Bellway has reported a 28.3% increase in gross profit in its half year interim results. However, the company added that a lack of affordable mortgages are a constraint on the housing market. At the end of January 2013, the firm's gross profit reached £89.7m; up from £69.9m at
28/03/2013
A town in East Ayrshire has been named "Scotland's most dismal town" in the annual Carbuncle Awards. The 'Plook on a Plinth', which is awarded each year by Scottish magazine Urban Realm, revealed New Cumnock was the recipient of this year's title. Reasons for choosing the town ranged from the "h
27/03/2013
Argyll and Bute Council has approved a project to build 40 new homes for rent in Oban. The council will provide Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) a grant of £890,000 and loan finance of more than £2.3m towards the development. The Scottish Government had earlier pledged a grant of more t
27/03/2013
A new £20m community sports hub in Linwood has been delivered to Renfrewshire council by BAM Construction. The sports hub is part of the Building Better Communities Framework. Located on Brediland Road, the sports hub includes three swimming pools (one of which is of competition standard), an ei
27/03/2013
The restoration of a library in Edzell has taken one step closer after receiving a £33,300 grant. The money is from a fund which supports rural projects in Tayside. Angus Council is planning to restore the Victorian Inglis Memorial Library back to its original 1898 design. The money has been d
27/03/2013
Members of the Scottish Borders Council (SBC) are expected to agree funding for plans to develop new sports pitches in the Borders. The meeting will take place tomorrow. Councillors will be asked to approve the £60k funding that will start the planning work for new full-size '3G' pitches in Peeb
27/03/2013
Work on the first phase of a £6m residential scheme for Govan Housing Association has been completed by Anderson Bell Christie. Situated on the site of a former school, the homes at Dunsmuir Street are situated at the centre of a triangle formed by Ibrox Stadium, Govan town centre and the Science C
27/03/2013
Clackmannanshire Council has said it is prepared for the "devastating fallout" it is expecting when the new 'bedroom tax' comes into force. Councillor Gary Womersley added that the council would be left to "pick up the pieces" of the controversial tax. Under the new 'bedroom tax', families on hou
27/03/2013
Robertson is looking for local subcontractors to help build the new £29m Harris Academy in Dundee. The school is being delivered as part of a £500m investment programme covering construction projects throughout Tayside, Fife and Forth Valley, via the hub East Central Scotland Company. On Thursda
27/03/2013
Edinburgh Council has unveiled details of upgrading works for a number of schools across the city. The works are expected to be carried out in the coming year. The £7.1m investment will see a variety of works undertaken, including roofing repairs, stonework, new boiler plant, fire safety and gener
26/03/2013
The Scottish Government has awarded a £2.4m fund to Loretto to build 49 affordable homes for rent in the North of Glasgow. The Belmont Road project is the largest of 14 developments that successfully competed for funding under the Government’s Greener Homes Innovation Scheme challenge fund. The G
26/03/2013
Budget hotel chain Premier Inn is reported to have secured four new hotel sites, according to Business Traveller. The latest acquisition will add almost 400 bedrooms to its expanding portfolio in Scotland. The four new sites will be located at Glasgow, Perth, St Andrews and Stirling and are part
26/03/2013
Approval has been given for the development of the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) in Aberdeen Bay. The development will consist of 11 wind turbines a few kilometers from the Aberdeenshire coast. The project will be capable of generating up to 100MW and provide enough energy to mee
26/03/2013
Fife Council has confirmed the Maitland Street Bridge in Leven is to be reconstructed. The project is part of a programme to strengthen and replace structurally weak bridges. The bridge was first structurally assessed a number of years ago and found to be only capable of carrying a three-tonne ve
26/03/2013
A Fife housing project, designed to trail new alternative methods of construction, has been shortlisted for two prizes in the annual Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyor (RICS) Awards. Each year, the RICS Awards focus on Britain's most inspirational regional initiatives and developments in land, p
26/03/2013
Engineering and construction group Costain has been awarded a contract to refit two cooling towers at Fiddlers Ferry Power Station. Near Warrington, the firm will carry out the work on behalf of customer, SSE. The power station has eight natural draught water cooling towers which help to improve
26/03/2013
The increasing cost of repairs has been blamed for one of Scotland's youth hostels having to possibly close for good. Carbisdale Castle was shut down two years ago, but the BBC has reported that it may not reopen its doors. The Scottish Youth Hostels Association (SYHA) said the property might no
26/03/2013
Renfrewshire Council is to receive an extra £1.3m to help families into new social homes, The Gazette has reported. It is understood more than 1,000 new homes and 700 jobs will be created as a result of the project. The announcement will also see almost £40m allocated to local authority areas ac
26/03/2013
Students from Edinburgh College have completed work placements at several high-profile developments, providing them with vital construction experience. Ian Leslie, Shaun Mason, Nicholas Stanfield and Antony Raccio, who are completing an HND course in Architectural Technology and Construction Manag
26/03/2013
Plans for the new £34m Inverness Royal Academy have been unveiled. Staff, stakeholders, Parent Council representatives and local Councillors were all in attendance to learn of the provisional details for the build. By mid-2016, it is expected the Inverness Royal Academy, which will have a larger
25/03/2013
Barr Construction has secured a contract to build a retail development in Edinburgh, as well as a subsequent fit-out for Sainsbury's supermarket, Construction Now has reported. Initially, property developer Morbaine Ltd appointed Patton Construction for the build, but work has stopped in the early
25/03/2013
Building work, which is set to transform Ayr's iconic 'pink buildings', is expected to begin after successful discussions were held with the property owners and the appointment of contractors to complete the works. The 'pink buildings' sit at the gateway to Ayr town centre. The construction work
25/03/2013
More than £300k is to be spent on new granite footpaths in Aberdeen City Centre. The council has said the new surface will replace the old concrete slabbing in a historic part of the city, with the Green Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) funding the work on Adelphi Lane, Market Street and Guild
25/03/2013
Sports facilities across Scotland are to receive a share of a £7.4m capital spending fund. The fund has been created to help assist the legacy from next year's Commonwealth Games, First Minister Alex Salmond has revealed. Mr Salmond also confirmed the funding, which was made available through sp
25/03/2013
Councils have hit out at the "extreme and ill thought-out" bedroom tax, and urged the public not to blame them when the change comes into effect. According to the BBC, the councils added that they would try to protect the most vulnerable once the welfare reform comes into force on 1st April. The
25/03/2013
A £45m leisure complex, set to open off Edinburgh's Royal Mile, is expected to become a commercial destination for the city. The project, which is due to be completed by June, will see one of Edinburgh's historic lanes of Advocate's Close transformed. A total of 29 apartments, up to five restauran
25/03/2013
A new survey has found that late payment of invoices has reached "epidemic proportions" within the construction sector. It was found four out of every five building firms had experienced problems with late payments over the past year, according to the Scottish Building Federation (SBF). It also w
25/03/2013
The green light has been given to transform a landmark sports pavilion in Edinburgh, the Scotsman has reported. It is understood £500k will be given to Erskine Stewart's Melville Schools to assist the rejuvenation of a building at Arboretum Road. The decision comes after education leaders approved
22/03/2013
Work on a development aimed at creating a new community hub for Barrhead will begin this summer. The £3.8m project is an investment by East Renfrewshire Council for an innovative centre in the heart of the town. The new development will take the form of a substantial two-storey extension to the fr
22/03/2013
A £25m 'urban village resort' is to be built on the outskirts of Aberdeen. The build will be part of the Prime Four business park and will be Scotland's first De Vere Urban Village Resort. The plans for the site at Kingswells were approved by members of Aberdeen City Council's Development Managem
22/03/2013
Renfrewshire Council has revealed which areas are set to benefit from a £5.7m investment in road maintenance. The council is pledging a further £4.3m of capital investment into road maintenance, which brings the total spend for 2013-14 of £5.7m. This is the largest ever investment in roads from the
22/03/2013
An agreement has been reached on the acquisition of Marr College's school buildings and grounds by South Ayrshire Council. It is an important milestone in a project that will transform the Troon college into a modern school. The agreement between the Council and the C K Marr Educational Trust – wh
22/03/2013
The Scottish Government has granted Edinburgh Council the ability to borrow up to £21m to help build up to 160 affordable homes in the city. The loan facility will be used to lend funds to local housing associations and their subsidiaries, which will then develop sites and the completed homes at a
22/03/2013
A new £502k all-weather pitch is to be built at St Ninian's High School. The construction work is expected to start later this year, with the new synthetic surface replacing the current blaes pitch at the school. Funding for the new facility was approved as part of East Renfrewshire Council's bu
22/03/2013
A building in Dumfries which stores historic records needs £800k worth of repairs, the BBC has reported. The building used to be a former bookseller's store. It is understood Dumfries and Galloway Council eventually intend to sell the old TC Farries warehouse and build a new state-of-the-art arch
22/03/2013
Edinburgh Council is set to introduce changes to council tax in a bid to tackle the issue of empty homes in the city. A report to the Council's Finance and Budget Committee outlining the plans was approved yesterday. In the report, there are plans to reduce the council tax discount rate for empty
21/03/2013
New plans have been draw up for a refurbishment of Glasgow's George Square, the BBC has reported. In January, following an international design contest, proposals to redevelop the square were suddenly dropped. It is understood a more modest refurbishment plan has now been drawn up for the city.
21/03/2013
The Scottish Building Federation has welcomed plans to target additional funding towards shovel-ready construction projects. The plans were unveiled at Westminster as part of Chancellor George Osborne's Budget for 2013. However, the Scottish Building Federation has also criticised the Chancellor
21/03/2013
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) is reported to be carrying out restoration work on an abandoned island, the BBC has reported. It is understood a schoolhouse is being restored. Mingulay, which is south of Barra and located in the Outer Hebrides, has been uninhabited for more than 100 years. M
21/03/2013
Aberdeenshire homeowners are being encouraged to apply for free loft and cavity wall insulation through the Scottish Government's Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS). The scheme is being delivered by Aberdeenshire Council in conjunction with SCARF (Save Cash and Reduce Fuel) and the Scottish Go
21/03/2013
Work has begun on a new community pitch and primary school at Toll Park in Burntisland. Fife Council have said diggers are now preparing the ground for work in order to minimise disruption for users of the recreation park. The new primary school for Burntisland is part of Fife Council's Building
21/03/2013
The Administration of Scottish Borders Council (SBC) is to recommend an additional £2m of funding should be spent on roads maintenance in 2013-14. It will make the proposal to members next week. At the Council meeting, members will be asked to approve a total roads maintenance fund of more than £
21/03/2013
Construction work has started on a new Day Centre and Medical Practice in Gullane. The purpose-built facility is located on the Hamilton Road and will provide a new home for the local GP practice, Construction Now has reported. The building will feature locally accessed materials, including sands
21/03/2013
Refurbishment work has started on Aberdeen's Tullos swimming pool. The project is expected to be completed by this autumn. Robertson Construction Eastern Limited was awarded the contract to carry out the work, which includes: * retiling of both pools and poolside areas * repair of all water da
20/03/2013
Minister for Local Government and Planning, Derek Mackay MSP, has visited Dargavel Village, Bishopton to see the progress of a multi-million pound regeneration programme. The programme will see a number of high quality homes built in the area. BAE Systems' own the site in Bishopton and their ambi
20/03/2013
The Highland Council has supported an application to build the world's largest offshore wind farm in the Outer Moray Firth. The application by Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd will see the construction and operation of three offshore wind farms and its associated electricity transmission works. Up to
20/03/2013
A project which aims to boost the number of experienced workers entering the renewable energy workforce in Scotland has been unveiled. The Transition Training Network (TTN) is a new initiative and a collaboration between the National Skills Academy for Power and Scottish Renewables. On the Scottis
20/03/2013
Aberdeen Council have pledged almost £4m towards Aberdeen's roads and infrastructure. The Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure Committee unanimously agreed on how the £3.8m would be spent. A majority of the money has been allocated towards carriageway resurfacing, with just over £2m set aside
20/03/2013
Aberdeenshire Council has said the Bervie Braes road in Stonehaven could be reopened to light traffic. The road has been closed since 2010 after a series of landslides occurred after a period of heavy rainfall. According to the BBC, officers looked at eight option amid concerns from local resident
20/03/2013
Aberdeen Council has called for a public consultation for the appraisal and management of conservation areas in the city. Aberdeen has a number of historic buildings in its conservation areas, including the Georgian-engineered city centre to Victorian residential suburbs and coastal villages and t
20/03/2013
Two company directors have been fined after polluting waters in Perthshire and Argyll. A protected population of freshwater pearl mussels in the process. The directors, described as "environmental criminals", were fined at Perth Sheriff Court, according to For Argyll. Alan Smith and Charles Kippen
20/03/2013
Scottish Renewables members have been told they can no longer rely on subsidies from energy bill payers across the UK to make a profit. The warning was from Liberal Democrat Ed Davey as he addressed the Scottish Renewables annual conference in Edinburgh, The Telegraph has reported. Instead, Mr Dav
19/03/2013
Kilmarnock's John Finnie Street is to be restored due to further funding from East Ayrshire Council's Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI). The initiative will see a number of the street's Victorian buildings restored to their former glory, ensuring they are saved for future generations. Eleven bu
19/03/2013
A £10m transport hub at Halbeath, Fife, which is to support the New Forth Crossing, has reached a key milestone in its construction. Robertson, the Infrastructure, Support Services and Construction Group have completed work on the car park and foundations and are about to begin building the hub fa
19/03/2013
Hundreds of new homes are to be built across Scotland thanks to a £13.5m investment revealed by Housing Minister Margaret Burgess. More than 330 greener homes are to be built using modern and environmentally friendly methods which will help to reduce waste and disruption to the environment. The pro
19/03/2013
An £820k project to regenerate and improve Blairgowrie town centre is to be unveiled at Perth and Kinross Council's Enterprise and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday. The members of the Council will be told how the project will help attract more visitors to the town and boost local businesses.
19/03/2013
Work is set to begin as early as next month on some 59 schools across Glasgow. Nursery, primary and Additional Support for Learning (ASL) schools are all included as pat of the year one work plan. The year one work plan has been designed to focus on themed investment that will have an immediate i
19/03/2013
Orkney Councillors are to consult on whether care facilities provided at St Rognvald's House in Kirkwall, should be extended and modernised. On Thursday, the Policy and Resources Committee will discuss a recommendation that Orkney Islands Council should support this option, rather than build a care
19/03/2013
A £50m initiative to convert vacant office buildings into social housing has been unveiled. The programme, which is being spearheaded by Consensus Capital Property Limited, will set out developments across the UK over the next two years and will provide 1,200 city centre apartments for leading hou
19/03/2013
The A. Proctor Group, who manufactures Silverwood timber cladding, has said the product is now being used as part of a new project by the Accord Group. Accord Group have established an award-winning factory called LoCal Homes to manufacture their own timber frame houses. At Pattern Gardens in Darla
15/03/2013
A major contract has been awarded to eco Insulate Ltd to supply insulation to a number of homes in the Outer Hebrides. The Hebridean Housing Partnership (HHP) is embarking on a new insulation programme to upgrade their properties where previous traditional insulation methods have proved unsuitable.
15/03/2013
Pittencrieff Park has been granted £10k by Fife councillors to help improve its play areas. Following a meeting of the City of Dunfermaline Area Committee, councillors pledged to give the funding to volunteer group, Friends of Pittencrieff Park. The group plans to use the grant to make the park's
15/03/2013
Iain McMillan, the director of CBI Scotland has called for improvements to transport links to the Highlands. Mr McMillan said work to make the A9 dual carriageway, from Perth to Inverness, should be accelerated, the BBC has reported. He made his comments at a business dinner in Inverness. Speakin
15/03/2013
Fife Council's City of Dunfermline Area Committee has contributed £20k towards the installment of enhanced lighting for the city. The move, which will cost £50k in total, will see enhanced lighting installed around a number of iconic buildings and land marks within the city centre. The City Cham
15/03/2013
Inverness-based firm Begetube has announced it is to supply a heating system to a building in the Falkland Islands. The system will be used to heat the new Falkland Islands Museum in Stanley. The project, which was won by Charlie Allen, proprietor of Grampian Plumbing Services in Rothes, will b
15/03/2013
Arrangements to deliver construction projects worth £12m on the Scottish MOD estate are now open. And the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) is encouraging businesses of all sizes to get involved in the procurement process. Developed under the DIO Next Generation Estate Contracts (NGEC) pr
14/03/2013
Construction work has begun on Glasgow's Theatre Royal as part of an £11.5m project. The project aims to create a world-class venue at one of Scotland's most historic theatres. Earlier this year, the Café Royal 'wing' of the building was demolished and now foundations have been laid for the new a
14/03/2013
Fife Council's City of Dunfermline Area Committee has approved a green space action plan for 2013 at their latest meeting. The action plan sets out and prioritises work to improve the quality of parks and public green spaces, play areas, allotments, woods, outdoor sports and floral features in the
14/03/2013
The new developer behind a refurbishment of part of Edinburgh's Old Town has unveiled its proposals. The plans, which are for the Caltongate site in the Old Town, show new hotels, shops, homes and offices, according to the BBC. South-Africa based Artisan is behind the proposals. The site has be
14/03/2013
More than £3million of developer contributions towards affordable housing in Aberdeen has been secured by the city council, with a further £1million to be negotiated for the next financial year. The Aberdeen Local Development Plan requires housing developers to provide a percentage of affordable ho
14/03/2013
Scottish Borders Council has granted planning approval for the development of 91 homes in West Linton. Springfield Properties secured the plans for the first housing development in the village for ten years. The site is 4.34 hectares of agricultural land from the local Robinsland Farm. The Robinsl
14/03/2013
Edinburgh-based Miller Group has announced it returned to profit last year. The company is one of Scotland's largest building firms. It said its pre-tax profit for 2012 was £6.6m, after recording a loss of £30.4m the previous year. Group profit before interest was £29.2m, around a 40% increase
14/03/2013
A major restoration project of Duthie Park is set to benefit more than just the local community, Aberdeen Council has said. With the council working closely alongside Friends of Duthie Park and Aberdeen Greenspace, a new wildlife area is to be created and erected in the recently-refurbished linked
14/03/2013
A major refurbishment of Grant House Care Home in Grantown-on-Spey have been completed. The works were managed and procured by the Highland Council's Housing & Property Service. The redevelopment included upgrading the electrical and heating systems, a replacement call system and fire alarms well
13/03/2013
Improvements to Bannockburn's Quakerfield shopping parade are taking shape thanks to £100,000 of environmental improvements being carried out by Stirling Council. Consultations were carried out with Bannockburn Community Council and Community Trust, shop owners and local residents to develop fresh,
13/03/2013
Paisley Abbey could have a new visitor centre after a planning application was submitted. If passed, the £2m project would include a larger café and restaurant, a shop, heritage interpretation and a hall which would be used for receptions, exhibitions and conferences. The plans also include rebui
13/03/2013
Work on the Helensburgh Public Realm Improvement (CHORD) project is due to start this week. It is expected work will last for around six to eight works. The improvements include a new signalised pedestrian crossing in West King Street and enhancing the signalised pedestrian crossing on West Clyde
13/03/2013
A West Lothian town is set to benefit from a new £7.3 million hub for council, health and community services. Proposals for a brand new partnership centre for Blackburn moved a step closer, after the Council Executive committee agreed what council and community accommodation would be included, pavi
13/03/2013
Edinburgh City Council has approved plans to build a new country park to the west of Edinburgh. The major project will be located on the site of a disused quarry in the village of Ratho. The 26-hectare site will be reshaped to create a lakeside setting with woodland walks, and will feature a smal
13/03/2013
Housing and Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess has today confirmed that more than 300,000 households within Scotland are eligible for free insulation and heating. Mrs Burgess added that the help would be available from 1st April. The measures are part of the Energy Company Obligation in Scotland
13/03/2013
Councillors in Edinburgh have given the go ahead for a 1,200-seat multiplex at Fort Kinnaird. The proposed seven-screen complex will be run by Odeon and on the same site where the cinema was demolished in 2008. Three objections were made against the plans by Ocean Terminal, Cameron Toll and the O
13/03/2013
The A. Proctor Group recently donated ten rolls of their high specification pitched roof underlay, Roofshield, to renovate The Meal Mill on the Scottish Island of Raasay. The refurbishment of the old Mill will help to sustain and develop both the economy and cultural heritage of the remote island
12/03/2013
Scottish Borders Council (SBC) has announced that a recent application of £218,000 to the Scottish Government’s Sustainable Action Fund has been successful. The Scottish Government is keen to promote low carbon economies in local areas and a number of the projects that will be completed by the end
12/03/2013
Orkney Islands Council is seeking feedback on guidelines covering the contributions project developers might be requested to make as part of the planning process. The Scottish Government recently released updated policy to local authorities on when developer contributions may be required. The Coun
12/03/2013
A turbine which is capable of generating enough green energy to power up to 150 homes has been installed in Scottish Water pipes. It is the first turbine of its kind in the UK. The technology, known as Difgen, is capable of producing 600MWh of electricity each year, thus reducing the amount of el
12/03/2013
The year has got off to a strong start for timber frame manufacturer Mactaggart & Mickel Timber Systems, Construction Now has reported. New contracts, worth in excess of £1.4m, has meant the company has tripled its production capacity as it moves to a new factory. The company will provide 76 uni
12/03/2013
A new Modern Apprenticeship is opening doors for six young people - helping them build on their qualifications while gaining valuable work experience in Falkirk Council's Housing Service. This week the Modern Apprentices in Housing will receive their 'Scottish Certificate in Housing Practice at Lev
12/03/2013
West Lothian Council is to provide homes with significant benefits to the local economy including employment opportunities as well as providing much needed quality social housing for rent. Nearly half of the 600 new homes could be built in the Broxburn area to help the local area recover following
12/03/2013
The new £2.3m Carseview Bridge in Cowie has been officially opened by Transport Minister Keith Brown. The project is part of a wider £30m programme of bridgeworks across Central Scotland ahead of further future developments in the rail lines. The overall programme will see over 20 structures alte
12/03/2013
Redevelopment work has begun at the National Avian Research Facility (NARF) at the University of Edinburgh's Easter Bush campus. The £14m project is being funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Roslin Foundation and University of Edinburgh. Work is expected to
12/03/2013
A detailed planning application has been submitted by Holmes Miller for the development of Harris Academy in Dundee. The proposed state-of-the-art school will deliver a variety of teaching, social and community facilities on site, in Dundee's West Conservation Area. The new build is to replace the
12/03/2013
A £1.7m project, dedicated to supporting Scotland's creative industries sector, is underway according to the BBC. The project is part of a redevelopment of the city of Dundee. District 10 will be located at Seabraes Yard and will create almost 40 jobs, as well as generate up to £10m for the loca
11/03/2013
The last remaining tower block of flats in Kincardine have been demolished, changing the skyline of the town. The landmarks had been defining features in the area's skyline for many years before the two of the three blocks were demolished in 2010. The remaining building, Ramsey Court, was finally
11/03/2013
Moffat Town Hall is set to be refurbished under a new £600k scheme. The project will see the local hall fully repaired and refurbished. A local trust, which has taken over responsibility for the management of the building, developed the project last year. Repairs to Moffat Town Hall will includ
11/03/2013
Scottish construction workers whose names appeared on a blacklist have taken part in a demonstration in Dundee, the BBC has reported. The blacklist was used by major firms to vet employees, and those affected by the action have called for the Scottish government to launch an inquiry. It is belie
11/03/2013
Construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall has secured a £24m contract to build a new office facility in Dalmarnock, Glasgow. The new waterfront build is part of the Clyde Gateway Regeneration Project. The project will see vacant land on the banks of the River Clyde redeveloped into 120,
11/03/2013
Local children from East Dunbartonshire are enjoying play parks throughout the area after £250k was invested to improve 13 of the parks. Over the past year, money has been spent on replacing old or damaged equipment with newer elements. Safety surfaces were also upgraded and there was a general re
11/03/2013
The Scottish Government has unveiled a £60m fund to help local councils make homes more energy efficient. The money will be focused on areas with high levels of fuel poverty. Steps such as installing double glazing and solid wall insulation are just two of the methods that will be covered by the
11/03/2013
Despite the Highland Council reaffirming its support for the Inverness West Link last week, a new motion means it will now have to be looked at again. According to the BBC, the controversial plans may need to be re-evaluated after five councillors put forward a motion. The motion to 9th May's ful
11/03/2013
Kilmarnock-based firm A J Clark Group has gone into receivership, The Scotsman has reported. In a statement released over the weekend, the company's directors said the civil engineering firm had been placed into receivership on Friday. It said late payments by some of its customers as well as a s
08/03/2013
Shepherd Engineering Services (SES) has secured a prestigious contract to work on a £25m landmark scheme at Edinburgh's Haymarket Station. SES will work alongside main contractor Morgan Sindall on behalf of Network Rail and Scot Rail. The contract will see a major transformation of the existing s
08/03/2013
Solar panels have been installed on the roof of Kilncraigs as part of Clackmannanshire Council's major redevelopment of the building. It is due to become the Council headquarters later this year when both Greenfield House and Lime Tree House close, with staff moving to the redeveloped building. Th
08/03/2013
Senior Councillors from Perth & Kinross have visited the proposed site of the new National Performance Centre for Sports (NPCS). Council Leader Councillor Ian Miller (SNP), Councillor Peter Barrett (Lib Dem), Councillor Mac Roberts (Conservative) and Councillor Archie MacLellan (Labour) all visited
08/03/2013
The first completed section of the tram route between the Gogar depot and Edinburgh International Airport has officially been handed over to Edinburgh Council. The 2.8km stretch of track was handed over after a successful programme of testing by contractors and marks the end of a thorough commissi
08/03/2013
The original site of Kilmarnock Academy is set to continue to play an important part in the community as the turf was cut at the location of the new Kilmarnock Resource Centre. The new facility will provide opportunities for integration, social contact and learning for members of the community who
08/03/2013
Rothesay's Post Office in Guildford Square is the first to receive a shop-front repair in the town. The work is being carried out by local building contractor George Hanson Ltd and comes after grant funding was made available from the Rothesay Townscape Heritage Initiative. The repair work is exp
08/03/2013
The Highland Council has reasserted its support for the route chosen for the £27.2m Inverness West Link Road. The route will link the Dores Road Roundabout to the A82 at Torvean. Next month will see a draft Development Brief for the Torvean and Charleston areas published, which aims to highlight
08/03/2013
Fife Council's Executive Committee has granted Fife Employment Access Trust (FEAT) a 12-month exclusivity period to develop proposals for the long-term management of Silverburn Park. The properties will be removed from the market for one year while FEAT develop a costed business plan as well as sec
08/03/2013
Dundee City Council has welcomed a decision to help build more affordable rented housing in the city. A budget of £1.5m has been set aside to help with the new builds. The news by the Scottish Government brings the total amount of funds available up to 2015, to £7.7m. The extra funding will ena
08/03/2013
The Highland Council has set aside £242m over the next three financial years, reinforcing its commitment to the Highland economy. The key building projects set to benefit by the programme are schools and roads as well as improvements to offices and harbours. This budget is in addition to a reven
07/03/2013
Academics at Robert Gordon University have drawn up a 10-point plan to revive Aberdeen's Union Street. According to the BBC, the report suggests redeveloping existing buildings as well as encouraging more people to live on the street. Union Street was at one time Aberdeen's main retail hub, but o
07/03/2013
Angus Council has said the Camus House site in Carnoustie is to be cleared, with new council houses being built in its place. The move will be part of Angus Council's house building programme. Camus House will soon be vacated by its residents who are moving to the new Kinloch Care Centre. Follow
07/03/2013
The £25m plus project to create a new Newbattle Community High School has taken a major step forward with the location being confirmed as a site opposite the current school. Councillors have already gave the Mayfield Complex the go ahead. The complex is already owned by the council and the choice
07/03/2013
Inverclyde Council's Planning Board has approved a £4.7m project to transform Gourock town centre. The Gourock Central Development includes a new one-way system in Kempock Street, 400 car parking spaces and a new public space. There will also be a riverside footway and cycle path and a small boat
07/03/2013
The green light has been given to replace Long Calderwood Primary School in East Kilbride. The move, worth £5.8m, is the 22nd new primary school in the town, under the £812m Primary Schools Modernisation Programme. The plan for the school was agreed by the council's planning committee this week,
07/03/2013
The new president of Scottish Building Federation's (SBF) Dundee and Angus Association has said she will aim to increase public investment for construction projects. Recently elected Karen Nicoll has urged local-decision makers to reverse their decision on spending cuts within the Dundee and Angus
07/03/2013
St Oran's Cross, the world's first Celtic High Cross, is to be reconstructed in celebration of the 1,450th anniversary of St Columba. The cross dates back to the eighth century and will be reassembled in the town of Selkirk before it is returned to the Inner Hebrides island of Iona. St Oran's Cro
07/03/2013
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland has said the latest housing figures released by the Scottish Government show the challenge that lies ahead. CIH Scotland added that the challenge faced councils, housing associations and the Scottish Government in getting the current Affordable Hous
07/03/2013
A series of road closures will be in place on Cove Road in the coming weeks during works to install a water main and foul water pumping main for a new housing development at Cairnrobin. Delays are likely and the travelling public is advised to use an alternative route or allow extra time for their
07/03/2013
The latest Scottish Government statistics have revealed the number of new homes being built in Scotland has increased for the first time since 2006. Official figures released by Scotland's Chief Statistician showed work began on 13,830 properties in 2011-12, an increase of 11% when compared to the
06/03/2013
Barratt Homes is to advance with 17 new sites this year, according to Construction Now. The projects will see 2,480 homes being built as well as supporting hundreds of jobs. It is understood the expansion of the firm's Scottish operations will focus on the commuter zone for Aberdeen. The move by
06/03/2013
A new initiative has been launched by the Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA). The 'Qualifying the Workforce' project is funded with £50k from industry body CITB Construction Skills and is set to benefit SPOA, its member companies and the 15,000 people they employ in Scotland. The scheme wil
06/03/2013
Fife Council has today confirmed its plans to generate up to £8.6m from renewable energy sources are one step closer to completion. The Executive Committee granted permission to begin investigating the feasibility of putting small wind turbines on land which has a Fife Council building on it. It
06/03/2013
The Highland Council has completed six new council homes in Dornie as part of a 257-house Highland-wide building project. The six homes form part of a second phase of affordable housing which was built in partnership with Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association and is supported by the Scottish Govern
06/03/2013
Aberdeen-based company John Wood Group has recorded a 43% increase in pre-tax profits for 2012. The firm, which design, builds and maintains oil and gas facilities around the world, said growth had been achieved across its three main divisions. It said it made £239m with revenues jumping 20% to
06/03/2013
A £22.7m building contract which will create more than 260 affordable homes in 2013, is helping to benefit Scotland's unemployed. Under an initiative from Sanctuary Scotland and GRAHAM Construction, 51 individuals were selected to learn life-changing skills on building sites across Paisley, Glasgow
06/03/2013
Andrew Shepherd Construction Ltd has been awarded Green Deal Installer accreditation for EWI external wall insulation. The Green Deal is an innovative financing mechanism that lets people pay for energy efficiency improvements through savings on their energy bills and has been launched in conjuncti
06/03/2013
UK energy company SSE is to pull out of one of its projects, the BBC has reported. The project involved building a subsea electricity cable linking Scotland and Norway. SSE said it would "no longer have a financial involvement in the NorthConnect project", as it turned its focus to its core marke
06/03/2013
A further four members have been appointed to the board of the Scottish Housing Regulator. Margaret Burgess MSP, the Minister for Housing and Welfare, made the announcement yesterday. The Scottish Housing Regulator is the independent regulator of over 200 social landlords across Scotland. This in
06/03/2013
AMEC has been appointed by BP and its co-venturers, Shell, ConocoPhillips and Chevron, to deliver the hook up and commissioning services (HUC) for the two new Clair Ridge platforms. The work, which is scheduled to run through to March 2016, is valued at £68 million and follows the completion of th
05/03/2013
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Scotland has launched a new campaign to build public awareness of how civil engineering shapes our daily lives and present engineering as an attractive career option. Barr Construction is the first Scottish-based firm to support the campaign by displaying Th
05/03/2013
Young people in the South Side of Glasgow will soon be improving their skills at a state-of-the-art football facility. GHA helped bring together a variety of organisations – including Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Community Justice Authority, the Scottish Government and sportscotland – to transform
05/03/2013
Councils will receive a share of £40 million to help families into hundreds of new social homes, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed today. The total funding package is expected to deliver around 1,000 homes, mainly for social rent, and support up to 700 jobs in construction and related
05/03/2013
Barr Construction has created a brand new Tesco Metro store on Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street and the store is now open to the public. The unit formerly occupied by Littlewoods is now open to the public after an eight week fit out. The Barr team provided a new sales floor, bakery and customer toilet
05/03/2013
Industry leaders met on 28 February to examine what can be done to attract new and independent retailers into vacant high street spaces. As part of the RICS Commercial Conference in Edinburgh, expert panellists critically examined current market conditions for the commercial property sector in Scot
05/03/2013
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is the owner of Scotland’s busiest snowsports centre and is looking for a new operator to run visitor facilities at the resort on its behalf. HIE built and owns Scotland’s only funicular railway at Cairngorm, along with associated facilities including ski lift
05/03/2013
Work on Kirkcaldy’s new state-of-the-art swimming pool and leisure centre is making good progress. Members of the Kirkcaldy Area Committee recently got the chance to tour the site of the new multi-million pound facility with Councillor Mark Hood, Executive Committee Member and Michael Graham, execu
05/03/2013
Restoration man, George Clarke, is calling on homeowners in Scotland to adapt, extend or improve their properties if they can't move or need more space. Clarke says the increase in the number of households with two or three generations living under the same roof and a rise in the number of homes sh
04/03/2013
The estimated total volume of all new construction orders in the fourth quarter of 2012 increased by 3.4 per cent (£370 million) compared with the third quarter of 2012. The total volume of all new construction orders in the fourth quarter of 2012 was estimated to be 11.2 per cent higher (£1,100
04/03/2013
James Frew's Gordon Orr recently presented pupils at Sorn Primary with two playground netball stands to celebrate the completion of a £1.1m renovation project. The company were principal contractors for the work which included major structural improvements to the Sorn school and the restoration of
04/03/2013
Partial consent has been granted for a wind farm in the East of Scotland which could power the equivalent of more than 32,000 homes and create jobs for the area. The Aikengall II wind farm, six kilometres south of Innerwick, is expected to have 19 turbines and have a generating capacity of up to 68
04/03/2013
Chairman of the International Valuation Standards Council, Sir David Tweedie, met with RICS and other industry professionals, during events in New York City and Toronto this week. The unique opportunity allowed me to address delegates on the strategic work underway on IVSs worldwide, led by the Ins
04/03/2013
Young people in the South Side of Glasgow will soon be improving their skills at a state-of-the-art football facility. GHA helped bring together a variety of organisations – including Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Community Justice Authority, the Scottish Government and sportscotland – to transform
04/03/2013
The Burnbrae Community benefits project with the Hillwood Youth and Recreational Club recently welcomed local sporting hero and former professional footballer Alec McLeish to site. Alec McLeish made nearly 500 League appearances playing for Aberdeen and Scotland with his diverse managerial career i
01/03/2013
Those who attend the Riding for the Disabled Glasgow group are set for a great year, thanks to big-hearted staff at construction company, ISG. Staff from the Glasgow-based business spent a day replacing sections of the timber 'kick board' area within the stable’s indoor arena, using materials which
01/03/2013
Entries for industry body Homes for Scotland's annual Awards scheme have reached record levels this year, with 87 submissions received across 11 categories. The awards, which seek to promote best practice and further increase standards in the new build sector, are focused around the 4 "P’s" of peo
01/03/2013
Edinburgh's Royal Mile business owners have joined forces to preserve the historic street's reputation as a major attraction and to give them a united voice in the community. The committee of the first Royal Mile Business Association (RMBA) was voted in at its inaugural meeting at the Hub in Castle
01/03/2013
Engineering firms in Scotland have reported a fall in orders and output, according to a survey from Scottish Engineering. The fall in output was the first in over two and a half years although companies stated they still have plans to invest. Bryan Buchan, chief executive of Scottish Engineering
01/03/2013
A year-long diversion of the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road will be in operation at Forres, Moray, from Tuesday March 5. The diversion will take traffic off the main road for a short distance before returning to the west of the existing main roundabout that accesses the town and the Greshop industr
01/03/2013
A year long exhibition at the People’s Palace about life in the iconic Red Road flats in Glasgow is being staged. Red Road: Past, Present, Future opens on February 28 will run until February 2014 and will explore the history of the flats, social housing and its legacy on Glasgow and features the cr
01/03/2013
First Minister Alex Salmond has welcomed Günther Oettinger, European Commissioner for Energy, to Scotland as the EU’s most senior energy official held talks with key government and industry figures in Edinburgh, ahead of further meetings in Aberdeen tomorrow. Mr Salmond wrote to the Commissioner in
