Scotland round-up: Crown Estate Scotland’s blueprint targets coastal development; Refusal of Cambusbarron homes appealed

Crown Estate Scotland’s blueprint targets coastal development

Crown Estate Scotland has announced proposals to invest £70 million over the next three years in a coastal community fund, commercial-scale offshore wind leasing, and a raft of new ways of producing food on land and at sea.

The Planner

Glasgow Met Tower makeover mooted

Property and investment firm Osborne+Co has submitted proposals to create a mixed-use development in Glasgow city centre that would involve refurbishing the Met Tower to create 11,150 square metres of grade A office space and a new 260-bed hotel.

Scottish Construction Now

Buchanan Galleries shopping centre expansion proposed

Michael Laird Architects has submitted expansion plans for the Buchanan Galleries Shopping Centre in Glasgow. The scheme would add office floor space and retail units to the facility by building on a gap site sandwiched between Buchanan Street and Queen Street Station, which would see new floor space provided over 11 levels.

Scottish Construction Now

Refusal of Cambusbarron homes appealed

Barratt Homes West Scotland has lodged an appeal over Stirling Council’s refusal of a 265-home development in Cambusbarron, a decision made against the advice of officers. 

Scottish Housing News

Drum revises Leith Walk mixed-us scheme again

Drum Property Group has submitted new plans for the redevelopment of the 1.1-hectare Stead’s Place site near the foot of Leith Walk. It is the firm’s third attempt to win approval for a mixed-use residential-led project.

Scottish Construction Now

Permission sought for Banchory housing project

Bancon Homes has lodged a planning application with Aberdeenshire Council for 103 new homes at a development site in Banchory, 24 of which would be affordable.

Scottish Construction Now

Boutique hotel for capital’s Princes Street

The city council has approved proposals to convert the Royal Over-Seas League building on Edinburgh’s Princes Street into a five-star 30-bedroom boutique hotel.

Edinburgh Evening News

New growth agency for South of Scotland

The South of Scotland Enterprise Agency (SoSE), a new body responsible for stimulating growth and employment opportunities across Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders, has been officially launched.

BBC News

Record wind power exports

Scotland exported a record amount of electricity last year in the form of wind power worth £745 million, according to the latest official statistics. 

Scottish Government

Affordable homes target delayed

Housing and planning minister Kevin Stewart has confirmed that lockdown measures implemented as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak will delay the government’s target of building 50,000 new affordable homes.

Scottish Housing News

Highland tops for biodiversity

Newly compiled data from the National Biodiversity Network Atlas suggests that the Highlands has by far the widest range of flora and fauna in Britain, and boasts no fewer than 16,273 distinct types of plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms. 

Glasgow Herald

Crown wins planning struggle over Balmoral hydropower project

The Queen has won a planning battle over permission for a hydroelectric turbine on her land at Balmoral despite Aberdeenshire Council’s objections to proposals for a two-megawatt project on the River Muick, which runs through the 20,235-hectare estate.

Scottish Construction Now