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james73 · Last edited by james73 on Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:10 pm; edited 1 time in total

Ravenscraig builders go green

DEVELOPERS building houses on the former Ravenscraig steelworks site will
have to comply with the most eco-friendly guidelines anywhere in Scotland.

More than 3500 homes will be built on the 1100-acre North Lanarkshire site,
formerly one of the most polluted industrial areas in the country.

But the company behind the regeneration of the site, near Motherwell, is insisting
all the homes have a high "green" rating.

Ravenscraig Ltd says it's the first company in Scotland to insist on such rigorous
environmental standards.

Developers will be asked to:

● Provide facilities to recycle or compost at least 25% of household waste - rising to 35% by 2010

● Install combined heat and power boilers, preferably fuelled by renewable energy sources

● Provide on-site renewable energy-generation facilities capable of reducing carbon emissions by at least 10%

● Install water-saving devices in every house; Provide rainwater collecting facilities in gardens

● Only use timber from the Forest Stewardship Council and temperate sources.

Jim Fitzsimons, director of Ravenscraig Ltd, said: "We're throwing down a challenge
to the housebuilding industry."

James H
_________________
Happiness ain't at the end of the road - Happiness *IS* the road...

james73 · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:18 pm Post subject:

New Ravenscraig a step closer

THE developers behind the regeneration of the former Ravenscraig steel
plant site believe they are now close to getting the green light to start on
the scheme.

There were concerns earlier this year that with the rationalisation of
Scottish Enterprise and many of its responsibilities passing to local
authorities, the expertise for handling major strategic projects could be
lost.

Not just developers, but senior local authority figures and the former First
Minister, Jack McConnell, who is MSP for the area, have expressed concern
about the time being taken to resolve the issue involving one of Europe's
biggest brownfield projects.

The clean-up of the Ravenscraig site should be followed by up to 12,000
jobs and 3500 new homes over a 20-year period.

Developers of major projects such as Ravenscraig and Irvine Bay in
Ayrshire are pressing for the retention of a core of expertise within
Scottish Enterprise headquarters which would retain an input into
developments that were deemed too big for smaller local authorities to
handle.

Jim Fitzsimons, director at Wilson Bowden, one of the developers behind
the Ravenscraig site, is encouraged by the fact that the Scottish Enterprise
restructuring is now very close to completion and that he is to have a
meeting soon with Jim Mather, the Enterprise Minister.

James H
_________________
Happiness ain't at the end of the road - Happiness *IS* the road...

james73 · Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:43 pm Post subject:

New £70m college campus rises from Ravenscraig site (Evening Times)

THE first building of the new town on the site of the old Ravenscraig steelworks
is gradually taking shape.

Motherwell College's £70million new campus is due to be completed next
spring, with the first intake of students expected in the autumn.

Planners say they want to make the new college as modern as possible to
reflect the fact it is breathing new life into a once vibrant industrial site.

But in a nod to the area's heritage, the college's new halls of residence
will be a cylindrical building resembling the distinctive Ravenscraig cooling
towers.

College board chairman Ian Watson said there was huge excitement at
the progress already been made on the site, just off the Motherwell to
Carfin road.

He added: "The new college will have state-of-the-art facilities and
accommodation to meet the needs of education in the 21st century.

"The board has been happy to support the massive commitment to build
this new campus at Ravenscraig and to see the vision take shape."

College principal Hugh Logan said: "It's exciting to see the new campus
progressing so quickly. The main building has a lot of glass, which will
make it bright, attractive and practical.

"While the building work progresses, the staff at the college are also
preparing for the move next year and students are looking forward to the
new learning environment."

Mr Logan said there would be an emphasis on foreign students and the
residential block would also host competitors at the 2011 International
Children's Games, to be held in Lanarkshire.

The new campus will replace the 40-year-old college building at Dalziel
Drive.

James H
_________________
Happiness ain't at the end of the road - Happiness *IS* the road...

james73 · Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 11:12 pm Post subject:

Town development is work of art (BBC)

A huge red letter 'r' the size of 10 football pitches has been unveiled at the
site of the former Ravenscraig steelworks in Motherwell.

It is part of the ongoing redevelopment of the area and marks where the
new town centre will be built.

The artwork depicts Ravenscraig's corporate logo and can be seen on the
London to Glasgow flight path.

The installation was made from 2,000 tonnes of red aggregate from Cloburn
Quarry in Lanark.

The aggregate will subsequently be used in a later construction phase.

The project is part of an ongoing programme of public art incorporated
into the £1.2bn development, and is aimed at promoting the Ravenscraig
brand.

Murray Collins, of Capella Group, which is managing the Ravenscraig project,
said: "The popularity of web-based satellite maps such as Google Earth
has led to the growing phenomena of 'earth art' like the big 'r'."

James H
_________________
Happiness ain't at the end of the road - Happiness *IS* the road...

james73 · Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:15 pm Post subject:

Work to start on £29m complex as costs soar (Evening Times)

WORK on the delayed £29million sports complex at Ravenscraig will start next
month despite concerns over the cost of shoring up the site.

The long awaited project will see an athletics track, a full-size indoor
football pitch, nine sports halls, a fitness gym and dance studios being
created on the former steelworks.

But detailed site investigations have revealed the land sits on 130ft deep
caverns and a redundant mine shaft.

The extra work will add around £1m to the cost of the centre, which has
already been redesigned because of rising steel costs.

Plans for an outdoor football pitch were scrapped and the size of the
athletics hall was reduced in a bid to drive down the final bill earlier this
year.

Lizanne McMurrich, head of Community Information and Learning at North
Lanarkshire Council, said: "These unforeseen issues were identified after
the £29m budget was set.

"There were basements exceeding 40m in depth which needed to be fully
excavated and backfilled to ensure stability for the works.

"The extent and depth of the basements varied considerably from the
assumptions made.

"No further savings can be incorporated without irrevocably impacting the
function and intentions of the facility."

Council chiefs have agreed to fund the budget over-run and will apply to
sportscotland in a bid to recover part of the additional sum.

Contractor Balfour Beatty is expected to start work at the end of next
month and complete in March 2010.

The Scottish Government, through sportscotland, has contributed £7m to
the project, which is also backed by the council and Ravenscraig Limited.

Backers hope the centre will be used as a training facility for the 2012
Olympic Games in London, and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in
Glasgow.

....

James H
_________________
Happiness ain't at the end of the road - Happiness *IS* the road...

samscafeamericain · Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 8:25 am Post subject:

James

Much obliged for this. I have a few ex Lanarkshire buddies now scattered to the far winds (US and New Zealand) who are very grateful for your updates.