Kier Construction Scotland (KCS) said yesterday it would deliver up to £40million-worth of construction, renovation and maintenance improvements to thousands of council houses in Aberdeenshire over the next four years.
The Kier Group division is one of four principal supply chain partners poised to benefit from a new council procurement “framework”, worth a total of £160million, for social housing upgrades.
Brian McQuade, managing director of KCS’s Scotland and north east England business, said: “Kier is pleased to be a partner on this important framework, which will make a huge difference to the lives of thousands of tenants throughout Aberdeenshire.
“We will also bring apprenticeship and employment opportunities to local subcontractors and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), providing a further boost to this area.”
The three other principal supply chain partners are Everwarm, Mitie and Banchory-based Bancon.
Aberdeenshire Council head of housing Rob Simpson said: “Aberdeenshire Council is committed to undertake a programme of improvement works for the benefit of its social housing tenants.
“This involves a large annual capital investment to ensure compliance with the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH).”
All work on the upgrades must comply with EESSH requirements set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.
The energy efficiency standard aims to reduce social housing power consumption, as well as fuel poverty and the emission of greenhouse gases, around Scotland.
KCS said its new work for Aberdeenshire Council would see it instal new bathrooms, kitchens, roofs and solar panels, upgrade internal and external wall insulation, renew windows and external doors, and deliver better heating and electrics.
The project covers towns and villages including Peterhead, Ellon, Mintlaw, Maud and Cruden Bay.
KCS is already a partner in a £125million Aberdeenshire Council capital works programme, while the firm has also worked on housing stock improvements for the Moray and Highland councils. Other major projects for the business around Scotland include a £6.75million contract to transform Aberdeen Music Hall.
The firm recently completed a £14million new community centre and primary school campus at Caol in Fort William and is currently developing designs for a new school in Alness.
Backlog maintenance work for NHS Highland, at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and NHS Grampian at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary are also keeping Kier Group’s Scottish construction division and its 200-strong workforce busy.
Bedfordshire-based Kier Group recently announced underlying pre-tax profits of £126million for the year to June 30, up from £116million in 2015/16, while revenue grew by 5% to £4.27billion.