Angus about Angus

Issued: 25 January 2007

Energy Efficient Home Wins Top Angus Design Award

Parramatta, a new home in Montrose constructed from natural materials and designed to make best use of solar energy, is the overall winner of the Angus Design Award 2006.

The post and beam frame of the award-winning house was constructed from indigenous, untreated Douglas Fir with softwood panelling and hemp insulation. Untreated larch was used to clad the exterior of the house.

Solar panels and heat-retaining slab floors have been installed to draw most benefit from natural energy sources, and extensive use of glazing on the south and west elevations of the house was designed to make best use of natural light and heat.

The prestigious award was presented to owners Mr and Mrs Paton, designer Neil Sutherland Architects and main contractor, Steve Warren Construction, at a ceremony in Arbroath this evening (Wednesday) hosted by Angus Provost Bill Middleton and Angus Development Control Convener Stewart McGlynn.

Runners-up were: Angus Housing Association’s development at 2 Wards Road, Brechin; Arbroath ACCESS Office; The Eco House, Wallace Street, Carnoustie; Signal Tower Museum, Arbroath and Kutz, High Street, Arbroath.

Provost Middleton congratulated the award winners and thanked the judges for their input, saying: “This is now the fourth time that Angus Council has promoted the Angus Design Awards, a scheme intended to encourage and acknowledge excellence and innovation in the field of architecture and design. As in previous years, the scheme has attracted a good range of high quality entries and I am pleased to see such a variety of projects featured in the list of awards.”

Councillor McGlynn said he was delighted at the imaginative projects which had been put forward for the design awards scheme. “The calibre of entries has once again been high, and these projects do much to maintain and enhance the built environment in Angus.”

This year’s judges were Charles McKean, Professor of Scottish Architectural History at the University of Dundee and former Secretary of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, Andrew Nicoll, formerly a senior partner with Nicoll Russell Architects and Graham McNicol, a member of the Society of Architectural Historians.

Angus Pledges Climate Change Support

Angus Council has pledged to take local action to tackle climate change.

 The Scottish Climate Change Declaration was launched today (Tuesday 16 January), with Angus promising to take local action in support of the document.

The declaration acknowledges the reality and importance of climate change and is a means of demonstrating local leadership and a commitment to local action.

Angus Provost Bill Middleton who will formally sign the declaration along with Chief Executive David Sawers at a ceremony in Forfar next month, said: “Scotland’s local authorities are at the forefront of signing up to Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration and we look forward to working with others to address climate change through local leadership and action. The declaration is an expression of local commitment and a clear statement of intent to take action to respond to the challenge of climate change.”

The declaration recognises that climate change is occurring and that it will have far reaching effects on Scotland’s people and places, impacting on the economy, society and environment.

By supporting it, local authorities commit to work with all sectors of the community both locally and nationally to respond to climate change and promote the sustainable development of local communities.

It commits the authority to undertake a number of actions including:

• To work with the Scottish Executive and the UK Government to contribute to the delivery of Scotland’s and the UK’s climate change programmes.
• Produce and publicly declare a plan, with targets and time-scales, to achieve a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the council’s own operations.
• Ensure that greenhouse gas reduction and climate change adaptation measures are clearly incorporated into new and existing strategies, plans and programmes.
• Assess the risks and opportunities for services and communities of predicted climate change scenarios and impacts, and take action to adapt accordingly and in line with sustainable development principles.
• Encourage and work with others in our local community to take action to adapt to the impact of climate change, to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions and to make public their commitment to action.
• Publish an annual statement on the monitoring and progress of our climate change response, detailing targets set, actions taken, outcomes achieved and further actions required.
• Collaborate with other organisations to promote good practice on climate change mitigation and adaptation.