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Modular construction specialist Connect Modular recently paid a visit to The Alex Linkston Skills Centre for Sustainable Living at West Lothian College, in the first of many engagement activities lined up with the
further and higher education provider.
West Lothian College is situated adjacent to West Lothian Council’s milestone housing development at Almondvale Crescent, where Connect Modular is currently delivering 49 units of high quality new build housing, having been appointed as the main construction contractor by the council’s development partner, Hub South East.
CEO Jennifer Higgins commented:
“At Connect Modular we take immense pride in our community engagement work and it Is important to us that we deliver meaningful activities, offering genuine value to the participants. We were delighted when we reached out to the Construction Department at West Lothian College and our offer to collaborate was warmly received.
“Together, we have coordinated a broad range of activities including today’s knowledge-sharing visit to the ECO House, Skills Centre for Sustainable Living. Over the course of the next year, we will deliver a series of guest lectures, site visits, work experience placements and will even welcome students for a tour of Connect Modular’s 120,000 sq ft manufacturing facility, where they can see the Almondvale Crescent houses under construction.
“We are passionate about our modular construction method, and this is a great opportunity to educate the next generation about its many benefits from sustainability to build quality and speed of delivery.
Visiting the ECO House in Livingston was a wonderful experience. We were very impressed by what we saw and heard, and we hope the input of our colleagues proved to be helpful to the college. We look forward to returning to the college again to deliver our first guest lecture on modular construction.”
Steven Morrison, Faculty Director at West Lothian College’s Faculty Director, added:
’As Faculty Director at West Lothian College, I’m thrilled about our collaboration with Connect Modular. This partnership enhances the practical experience our students gain through their course and working in our learning environments on campus . Connect Modular’s expertise in sustainable construction techniques provides our students with invaluable insights into cutting-edge modular building practices.
This exposure not only complements their learning in the ECOHOUSE but also broadens their skillset, making them more versatile and employable in the evolving construction industry. The combination of our ECOHOUSE facility and Connect Modular’s industry knowledge creates a powerful learning environment that prepares our students to be leaders in sustainable construction. We look forward to building on this relationship with Connect Modular as this project develops”
West Lothian College is one of multiple stakeholders identified by Connect Modular in its Community Benefits Proposal for the Almondvale Crescent new build housing contract. The offsite contractor is also planning to work in collaboration with West Lothian Council apprentices, local primary Schools, secondary schools and a local youth project.
Kathryn Geekie, Hub South East’s Social Impact and Supply Chain Manager, added:
“Key to the success of Hub projects is agreeing, in partnership with clients, bespoke outcomes for social impact in their particular area. We develop targets and drive these to deliver maximum positive benefits, ensuring a lasting legacy long after construction is complete. It’s fantastic to see Connect Modular making positive links with the local community and we look forward to seeing these further develop, offering a range of opportunities locally as the project progresses.”
Edinburgh Boiler Company Managing director Dougie Bell
The Edinburgh Boiler Company (EBC) is primed for further growth after being named an official Octopus Energy Trusted Partner.
In a major boost for the firm, the energy giant has given the green light to the collaboration following a stringent vetting process as part of their new programme which kicks off later this month.
Octopus is being inundated with customers reaching out for low carbon technologies and is building an affiliate network to allow the company to refer those businesses it can’t help to trusted local installers across the UK. Verified partners must meet Octopus’ quality standards for both work and customer service, and EBC managing director Dougie Bell is delighted with the recognition and will be launching a recruitment drive in the coming weeks to meet the expected rise in demand.
“Our core values align perfectly and there is no doubt this partnership bolsters our credibility across the industry,” he said. “I’m confident it is going to lead to new leads, more installations and also more jobs and is going to play a key part in our next phase of growth.
“Octopus Energy is highly selective in choosing their trusted partners, with strict criteria that must be met to
ensure quality and reliability. We’re proud to say that The Edinburgh Boiler Company has met those high standards, and it’s rewarding to see a company of Octopus’ stature recognise the value we bring to customers
looking for renewable energy solutions.
“We’re coming together with the UK’s most innovative energy provider to deliver sustainable, energy-efficient
solutions for homes across Edinburgh and beyond. Together, we’re stepping up our commitment to helping lower energy bills while contributing to a greener future.
"When two heavyweights in the renewable and energy sector come together, it’s not just a collaboration it’s a massive step in the right direction to delivering our Net Zero targets. We’re proud to be part of this
partnership with Octopus Energy, creating a better, cleaner future for us all.
The news of the partnership caps a successful few days for EBC, which has also secured membership to the Energy Performance Validation Scheme (EPVS).
EPVS is a certification standard specifically designed to validate the processes used by installers of renewable
energy systems, for EBC this means solar PV and battery storage systems.
The accreditation now shows that EBC adheres to a stringent set of standards to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the energy savings and performance calculations presented to customers.
“This certification validates that what we’re telling customers is true and accurate,” said Mr Bell, “and underlines our commitment to being the trusted local installer for Edinburgh, the Borders and central Scotland.”
The Forth Green Freeport is set to bring in £90m less for Edinburgh Council than was previously estimated, new figures show, as councillors insist it’s still “well worth investing in”.
The ‘special economic zone’ along the Forth Estuary officially came into place earlier this summer, offering tax breaks and lower business tariffs, and promising tens of thousands of “high quality” jobs in offshore wind and other renewable energy technologies.
Last week councillors agreed to release Edinburgh’s contribution of just under £345k, unlocking an initial £24.5m investment in the the deregulated ports at Leith, Burntisland, Grangemouth and Rosyth.
Some of this seed capital is set to help create a new turbine laydown and logistics facility at the Port of Leith, where Forth Ports – which is leading the public-private partnership with councils in Edinburgh, Falkirk and Fife and other businesses – is working to deliver Scotland’s ‘largest renewable energy hub’ on a 175-acre site.
But critics of freeports say they only create ‘tax havens’ for companies who relocate existing jobs rather than creating new investment.
And now it’s emerged the benefits to the city have been downgraded since an outline business case was presented to councillors last October.
Updated figures show Edinburgh Council is estimated to receive £107m from non-domestic rates over 25 years. This is down from £197m less than a year ago.
The number of jobs expected to be created across the entire freeport has also dropped, from 50,000 to 34,500 – while the council’s contribution rose from £80,000 to £344,970.
SNP councillor Kate Campbell, who called on the council to reject the funding request, said: “There’s been a very big shift in terms of the expectation of what we as a council would expect in terms of funding and also what it will deliver.
“We do not believe we should be putting forward the £350k to support the freeport.”
However Labour council leader Cammy Day defended the project, hailing it as a “huge opportunity” to build and to provide more investment into the city.
He said: “Our role of course will be to oversee the invested agreements and that they comply with the agreed investment principles. And if not we will firmly apply the penalties that we are able to.
“The full business case will unlock over twenty four-and-a-half million pound of seed capital from the UK and Scottish Governments and create a potential large-scale creative hub and a first aid studio complex in the Leith area.
“The initial contribution . . . is less than 0.5 per cent of the council’s projected income and of course it will be replenished when the income starts coming in from the non-domestic rates.
“It’s a minor outlay for a substantial transformation of the north of the city and the Forth estuary.”
As well as getting a slice of the seed capital funding, businesses operating in the freeport can benefit from various tax incentives including:
– 100% non-domestic rate relief for five years
– 100% Enhanced Capital Allowances for the first year of qualifying expenditure
– No employer National Insurance contributions on salaries up to £25,000 for new hires in the first three years
– Land and building transaction tax relief
– Customs incentives
– Suspension of import VAT on goods entering the Green Freeport
– Simplified planning regimes
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During a debate on the Forth Green Freeport’s full business case, which has been signed off the UK and Scottish Governments, Greens councillor Alex Staniforth described it as a “bad idea and a bad investment”.
He said: “These things have never worked as well as administrations have hoped they would when similar projects have been done in the UK and elsewhere,” while fellow Edinburgh Green Ben Parker branded it “greenwashing”.
Conservative group leader Iain Whte said it was “well worth investing in”.
He said: “£350k for at least £107m return directly to the council to spend in Edinburgh in non-domestic rates revenues retained by the council. That’s 0.3 per cent of the money that we put up front as a short-term investment to allow it to happen and cover a small gap.
“£7.9bn of private and public investment, £8.1bn of gross value add and £34.5k jobs, high quality jobs at that.
“If you want to build wind turbines, if you want to change oil production to green hydrogen that will take some up front cost. But it’s all about changing our economy and our energy industry and capacity.”
While the business case won support from a majority of the chamber as Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem councillors voted to endorse it and approve the council’s contribution, Labour backbencher Katrina Faccenda said she could not support her group’s position.
“Unfortunately I will not be able to vote for this with the administration,” she said, telling colleagues the report “didn’t go any way to convincing me that it wasn’t going to be a deregulated zone in the most negative aspects of that”.
