Latest news with #MorrisonConstruction
The Courier
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Courier
£500k Dundee Raac pilot scheme approved
A pilot project which Dundee City Council hope will make homes safe from Raac has been approved. Councillors on the local authority's housing committee met on Monday to discuss a tender for the £500,000 scheme. The project will see remedial works carried out on Raac roofs in five void council properties in the city. This will involve installing a new roof structure directly below the Raac, ensuring the concrete is fully supported and made structurally redundant. In addition to the pilot project, the Raac within communal areas in five properties in Menzieshill will have their redundant roof-mounted water tanks decommissioned. These have been chosen as they are currently in a 'poor condition' according to a paper which went before the committee. Dundee-based Morrison Construction have been selected as the preferred bidder due to their 'experience in delivering RAAC projects for private and public sector clients'. The project will begin next month and run until August. However, councillor Kevin Keenan – who leads the Labour group on the local authority – called for dialogue to be opened with the Scottish housing and finance ministers over potential funding which could be made available to homeowners effected by Raac. During Monday's meeting, he proposed an amendment asking the committee to allow the council's chief executive to write to the ministers to ask for financial assistance. And whilst committee convener councillor Kevin Cordell said he could not accept the amendment in its entirety; he agreed to invite the ministers to Dundee to discuss the Raac crisis. Housing minister Paul McLennan has previously pledged to Dundee Raac campaigners he would visit the city. His promise followed a similar visit to Aberdeen earlier this month where he met homeowners and tenants in the Torry area of the city whose homes face demolition. No date has been set for the Dundee visit. The Courier has launched our Trapped by Raac campaign to help those affected by the burgeoning crisis and have the issue debated by government. We're asking readers to sign this petition to give campaigners a voice at parliament.
The Courier
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Courier
£500k Dundee Raac pilot scheme set to begin next month
A pilot project aimed at addressing the problem of Raac in Dundee properties is expected to begin next month. The scheme – which is estimated to cost £500,000 – will see remedial works carried out on Raac roofs in five void council properties in the city. This will involve installing a new roof structure directly below the Raac, ensuring the concrete is fully supported and made structurally redundant. In addition to the pilot project, the Raac within communal areas in five properties in Menzieshill will have their redundant roof-mounted water tanks decommissioned. These have been chosen as they are currently in a 'poor condition' according to a council paper. The Courier is campaigning alongside hundreds of Dundee homeowners impacted by the crisis. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson. Dundee City Council hopes to test the roof supporting decks to see if they can be rolled out en masse. Councillors on the local authority's housing committee will be asked to approve the tender when they meet on Monday. Dundee-based Morrison Construction have been selected as the preferred bidder due to their 'experience in delivering RAAC projects for private and public sector clients'. If the contract is agreed, the work will begin in June and run until August. The total cost to the council, including fees and contingencies, is expected to be £500k. This money will be taken from Dundee City Council's 2025-2030 capital plan. Scheme labelled 'waste of money' Dundee Raac campaigners have previously criticised the proposed pilot scheme, labelling the plans a 'waste of money'. In emails seen by The Courier, chairman of the Dundee Raac Campaign Group Wayne Hoskins outlined his concerns that the project was not a viable long-term solution. Wayne Hoskins outside his flat on Southampton Place. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson. Writing to Ray Low, housing asset service manager at DCC, he said: 'If a deck is installed, then homes will still be unsellable to potential buyers looking to obtain a mortgage. 'There is then the final point that if the Raac is still not removed in its entirety properties will not return to their full market value.' The Courier has launched our Trapped by Raac campaign to help those affected by the burgeoning crisis and have the issue debated by government. We're asking readers to sign this petition to give campaigners a voice at parliament.
Press and Journal
05-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Castlegate sealed off as diggers move in for investigation in bid to avoid delay disaster of Union Street revamp
Workers have sealed off sections of Aberdeen's Castlgate as they investigate what lies underneath the surface ahead of a major revamp. The preliminary investigation into the historic plaza is being carried out in a bid to avoid further delays with the major rejuvenation of Aberdeen city centre. It comes after the completion date for the first phase of the Union Street revamp was pushed to next spring due to problems with a 'spaghetti' of cables found underneath. Castlegate is one of the areas mooted for a multi-million-pound makeover, with the whole stretch of the Granite Mile, the beachfront and Queen Street also to get a facelift. The revamp of Castlegate is technically planned to begin after the Tall Ships event in July. However, construction workers will soon start digging through the decades-old slabs to see what they will have to deal with months in advance. Similar preliminary investigations were carried out outside the Primark on Union Street last year after workers faced loads of issues with the first phase of the Granite Mile upgrades. Engineers were 'surprised' to find a web of old pipes and cables when digging up the stretch between Market Street and the St Nicholas kirkyard. This eventually resulted in the whole project being delayed. And to avoid this happening again, Morrison Construction – which has been tasked with the revamp – have already started preparing ahead of the main works taking place on the Castlegate. A section of Castlegate has now been sealed off, with the works expected to take about a month – until May 23. These will involve digging small, shallow trial holes to help locate buried utilities or unexpected ground conditions. There will also be a small number of boreholes to help assess soil layers and deeper ground conditions. Earlier this year, council officials released new design images showing how Castlegate will look once the improvements are complete. The Mercat Cross will be surrounded by more outdoor seating and public art displays, with new planting and street lighting installed.
