This is the place where you can find out about – and keep up to date with – the latest information regarding the progress toward a new Hall.
Update: 24 February 2023
We’re now coming along nicely with the gable end of the Hall. Our slater and builder (Andrew Ferguson) has done a lovely job on the majority of the valleys and we’re now up to the replacement of coping stones, ridges and the final valley where our local bat ecologist (Rachael) will attend to help move our chiropteran lodger if he/she needs a new home. Their removal van doesn’t need to drive far – the tree over the car park with an array of very nicely appointed bat penthouses. The roof space & joists were a bit wet/sludgy due to shot benching, so we’ve sorted that out. This also mean the toilet ceilings were, in part, knackered and had to be taken down. The gents cludgie was looking the most worse for wear so we’ve had to rip down some plaster and re-plasterboard the whole lot to be suitably throne-like again. There’s also going to be heating in the gents and ladies, but we need to sort out the Main Hall heaters first.
The final design for the new entry door has now been done (install kindly funded by Cairnie Glass Community Trust), and the French Doors to the meeting room have also been agreed & are on the way very shortly. We’ll re-position the glass recycling when they’re done.
What’s next? Decadent cludgie painting, then descending the depths to commune with goblins and elves under the Main Hall floor so it can be insulated.
Update: 8 February 2023
The painter has been in contact and Mark Smith will start decorating the Hall on 15th March. It involves closing the Hall. The works are extensive, as it is many years since the last re-decoration. The floor will be re-finished, as will the stage area. The décor will deal with the walls, ceilings, woodwork & doors. After consultation with the committee the woodwork on the walls will remain but get refreshed. The cost will be just over £9000. After a competitive procurement process with five suppliers contacted this is the mid-range quotation, with the highest being £14000 and the lowest at £8400. This work is kindly funded by Aberdeenshire Vision Fund & Aberdeenshire Council, supported by the Scottish Government. This is a significant contribution to the Association’s work in responding to the community consultation outcomes.
New chairs (kindly sponsored by a member of the community) will arrive at the end of this month and we are hopeful to order the curtains shortly (kitchen & main hall). The chosen supplier (from three) is ready to turn our order around, and with thermal linings the fireproofed drapes will complement the colours chosen by the decorating working group but keep the large space warmer & comply with our insurance conditions.
Next up is the gable end, and works will hopefully synchronise but weather depending. Floor insulation to the Main Hall after this.
Update: 31 January 2023
We are progressing well with the Hall, and various jobs have been finished. We’ve got a post box! After 93 years with no postal address we joined the modern area of written communication.
The drainage required considerable upgrading: a new concrete top & lid on the septic tank, new lids for the rodding gullies, and clearing the traps to the downpipes. Andrew Ferguson completed the work, and will now concentrate on to the roof and gable end. Good weather is needed for this, and the recent poor conditions have held us back a lot. We may do this when the Hall is being –redecorated.
The internal double doors from the main entrance to the Hall have been fully refurbished. They were taken away to be re-squared, re-hinged, stripped and stained, door closers added, new push plates, signage, door stops and a threshold installed. Take care: the doors no longer open in both directions.
Our visit from the electrician will be in February, along with further (free) guidance about the energy efficiency of the building being completed on 3rd February by Matthew Clubb Architects. After this we plan to install new final exit doors to the main entrance, French doors in the meeting room, and heating/decorating to the existing toilets. Indulgent luxury for the hardy Glass folk! Then it’s Internet to install. We already have Bluetooth playing of music via the amplifier done. New chairs are on the way from our supplier in Poland, and curtains will be made by our supplier in Yorkshire at the end of February.
Finally, we are going through the process of moving onto mains water. Slow but sure on this front.
Update: 16 January 2023
It was a very busy Saturday at the weekend inside the Hall. With herculean efforts we insulated the loft spaces in a day. We used numerous loft rolls and sheets of rigid foam insulation. The volunteers were exhausted by the end of the day but satisfied. The environment was happier too with less electric needed to heat the space. The insulations heroes were Rachel, John, Sarah, Lorna, Andrew, Tom, Rachael and Marc. Rachel was the cake maker too and Ruth helped out with biscuits and sorting out the gable loft contents. Onto the next jobs: double doors to the Hall, a glamorous new sparkly lid to the septic tank and roof repairs.
We’re also delighted to report that one of our newer community members, Louise Gledhill, has donated a sound system to the Hall. We will locate the sound system in the new meeting room when it is up and running. Thank you Louise and family.
Update: 11 January 2023
We’re proceeding nicely with work at the Hall. Over the last week the duct for the electric supply has been installed from the Hall to a point next to the gates at the south end of our green space. This work was very generously done on a voluntary basis by Tom Macpherson – labour & machinery was provided at Tom’s cost. Eoin Harrold also kindly donated fittings & pipe. The remaining ducting and fittings were paid for by our Clashindarroch grant. Tom was assisted by Marc Day. They didn’t enjoy the cold & rain.
The septic tank was also blocked after Hogmanay and needed maintenance. A new lid will be cast in concrete in January, and the blockage has been shifted. This delightfully fragrant job was done by Andrew & Cameron Ferguson, Tom Macpherson & Marc Day. The tank will be emptied and a fixing internal to the tank will be repaired shortly.
Next is the double entry doors to the south of the Hall, which are draughty. We’re currently procuring them – white UPVC half glazed double exit doors with push bars and soft closers. However, the electric cable coming into the Hall is routed through the side of the existing fanlight, through the wooden window frame. This is not going to work with a new UPVC window, so it will need moving. The only people who can do this are SSEN (the company owning the electricity network). After this is re-routed we have a clear run to do the work.
Chairs (120 of them) are currently being ordered – the old ones are rather uncomfortable and don’t stack safely. The money to purchase these (a considerable cost) is very generously donated by a member of our community. They will be delivered in 5/6 weeks. Curtains are on the agenda too – a fabric has been chosen and the vendor chosen. We’re just waiting for funding and we’ll get them ordered. The old chairs will be kindly stored by Brodie at Standing Ovation in their work unit. These chairs will be used at outdoor events.
The doors on the stage now have ‘lift off’ hinges. We don’t now have to unscrew them from the jamb when doing drama productions, and it will avoid the door frame being replaced in the future. The internal double entry doors are next on the list – the hinges are knackered, the door leafs need squaring, draught proofing & finger guards fitting.
Update: 4 January 2023
Glass Hall renovation: 14th/15th January 2023. (9am to 5pm)
We’ve kindly received funding to insulate the roof spaces of Glass Hall. It’s essential we do this to push down the electric bill which gives less of a need to fund raise for avoidable costs & enables lower cost events. It’s also good for carbon reducing the building’s footprint.
We need a small group of volunteers (5 or so) to help pass materials to those who will complete the work. You won’t be going into the loft, albeit you’ll need to be able to lift and move loft insulation bales. We’ll supply gloves, a dust mask and (if needed) a disposable overall.
Please respond to if you’re able to help out on either day, for any length of time. Cups of tea are promised!
Thanks you to the funders for this work: The Scottish Government CARES Scheme, Cairnie Glass Community Trust, RES/Glens of Foudland Wind Farm Benefit Fund, Vattenfall/Clashindarroch Wind Farm Benefit Fund
Update: 30 November 2022
We have just had great news – we’ve now been funded to insulate the lofts of the Hall, and install a solar array & batteries on the new extension when it’s built. This matches funding from Edintore Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund, Glens of Foudland Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund and Cairnie Glass Community Trust. This new grant is worth over 30k. As this was a rather construction/technical bid Marc Day completed the 13 page form and obtained relevant quotes. Thanks to Ruta Burbaite and Natalya Hendricks at Local Energy Scotland via the CARES scheme (the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme).
We’ll begin works to insulate the lofts shortly (in January) and we’ll issue a call for volunteer help. Don’t be shy! Once this is done we’ll head under the floors and hopefully emerge with a warmer insulation layer installed such that it can withstand our dashing white sergeants.
Separately the gable end works start next week, with a gross assumption of clemency from the winter weather.
Update: 28 November 2022
It was a good dry morning to start planting in our green space. We had all the pupils from Glass School (including the nursery) come down the road and do the work. There were so many of us that the picture had to be taken twice to show the panorama. Our young community members did a brilliant job – armed with trowels from home – getting 540 daffodil bulbs planted in 25 minutes! They were ably assisted by committee members Andrew, Frances, Margo and Marc along with the kind help of the teaching staff at the school. Funding for this was provided by the National Lottery. This is just the start of planting – we’ll do more when the car park is down. The school’s next outdoor job will be hedge planting, but this will be in spring when our saplings from the Woodland Trust arrive in March.
The double doors to the Main Hall are now glazed with clear laminated safety glass. These doors will also need modifying to meet building regulations, and this is next on the jobs list. Did you also notice the windows in the main hall and kitchen?
Next week sees the beginning of works to the gable end & toilets so we can get this water tight. And the decorator will begin his work in the Main Hall.
Update: 22 November 2022
Many thanks to the immediate neighbours and community for your patience when we installed access to our green space & underground piping. This stage is complete. Thanks to our funders for supporting this aspect of the work (Vattenfall Clashindarroch Community Benefit Fund; EDF Dorenell Community Benefit Fund; REAP Edintore Community Benefit Fund). Thanks also to our contractor who did a good job. The next step – laying the car park surface, drainage & lighting – will be done when we get suitable weather.
You’ll also notice new views from the main hall & kitchen windows – they have new energy efficient glazing. The views are beautiful, and the Hall / Kitchen are much lighter. Many thanks to Aberdeenshire Council’s Community Led Vision Fund for their help with this work. Our contractor did the work in one day and the job was very neat. The old glass will be recycled.
We’ve had to slow down on gable end remedial works due to high occupancy of the Hall. We’ve had many weekend events and there are weekly users at the Hall each Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday. We’ll get going on this work when we’re a bit quieter – the contractor is standing by.
Tree work will be undertaken on 24 November as we need to remove some dead and decaying specimens. We’ll auction off the wood and chippings for the benefit of Hall funds, and the bulk timber will be slabbed & dried for indoor joinery. Many thanks to the REAP Edintore Community Benefit Fund for funding this.
Decorating the Main Hall – our work party chose Dulux nutmeg white for the ceiling and Dulux mint macaroon for the walls. Many thanks to Aberdeenshire Council’s Community Led Vision Fund for supporting this work. Our contractor kindly agreed to work around Hall users, albeit our bowlers, badminton players, netballers, Glass School and the parent toddler group have been inconvenienced for one week in January so the floor can be re-finished. Decorating starts in December.
Update: 31 October 2022
We’ve just been updated by Aberdeenshire Council (their Vision Fund) that our bid for decorating the Main Hall and installing new energy efficient low ’e’ glass has been successful. That’s a great help. Blinds for the Main Hall have also been funded – a request of SeeThru Productions (our Drama group) so outside light can be blocked out during matinée performances. It also means we leak less light into the neighbourhood when the Hall is in use at night.
Instead of the obscured glass in the main hall & kitchen we’ll be able to see the lovely views with new (conventional) transparent glazing. Hopefully the electric lights will be used less, and with the roof insulation we make the Hall less carbon intensive to operate. We bounce back the heat from the glass rather than let it disappear out the Hall. Put simply: less electric to pay for, more funds for fun & useful stuff! We’ll now get on with the work, carefully navigating around Hall bookings, so you’ll see the difference shortly.
27 October 2022 – Update
Our contractor will install the asphalt entrance and exit to the green space next week, along with installing a duct for electric cables and drainage of the car park surface under the road. Kerb edging will also be installed. There will be road closure in place, albeit this will not stop nearby residents from accessing their properties. A local diversion will ensure the safety of the site & workers.
The work should take two weeks, weather depending. Installing the entrances & exits will not impact the size and use of the existing car park at the Hall.
Once the entrances and exits are installed we can then get on with installing the car park surface, moving the recycling, adding drainage, laying cabling, lighting the car park area and spreading wildflower/grass seed. In March 2023 we finish the job by planting hedging & four oak trees (per the conditions attached to the planning permission).
Update: 24th October 2022
We’ve just been told that Glass Hall has been selected the CO-OP to be a local funding recipient.
We’ll use this money to reduce the carbon footprint of the Hall and improve our green space. If you’re already a CO-OP member then you can choose us as a cause by logging to your account online or via the CO-OP app. If you’re not a member then it’s really easy to do so: either by downloading the app or via their website: www.coop.co.uk. Once you’ve chosen us as a cause a proportion of your shopping spend in any of their stores is donated by CO-OP to us.
The more people that choose us, the better we can get our carbon footprint lower, the more we can help wildlife in our locality.
See our cause page, sign up for membership and choose us as a cause here:
https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/67670
Update: 18th October 2022
We have just been contacted by the Woodland Trust and they are kindly providing the hedging for the community space. We committed, in our planning application, to increase the amount of hedging around the perimeter and to soften landscape views of the car park from Market Hill. Pupils and staff from Glass School will give a helping hand with planting, and we’ve also got bulbs to get in the ground. The latter are kindly sponsored by the National Lottery, who will also pay for the wildflower & grass mix to be put around and on the 900m square car park surface. That’s a lot of seed! Bulb planting happens in a month or so (weather depending) and our new hedge saplings arrive in March 2023. They get protected with spiral guards and canes. There’ll be literally thousands more flowers and hundreds of hedge plants to give shelter for birds, mammals, insects & amphibians.
Road closure for constructing the car park opening & installing electric cables to light it will start at the end of November. It should take no more than two weeks, and then we can get on with laying the surface.
But first to come is the work to the toilets/entrance lobby end of the main building (walls, roof, windows). This will go ahead in the next few weeks, albeit we have a busy schedule of work around. And we have to take special care of our bat under the guidance of Rachael, our licensed bat worker.
Update: 20th September 2022
We now have our building warrant. This means we can start re-development, and it is being done in stages. Next spring is the best time for building work on the extension, and following this we can re-develop the meeting room & kitchen. In October we will address the damp roof, construct the car park, and create a new outdoor green space outside the Hall. We have already fundraised for this work.
A drawing is on display at the Hall to show you what is planned.
Update: 13th September 2022
Aberdeenshire Council have granted in full planning permission for the re-development of Glass Hall. We will be granted the building warrant soon. We will replace the frosted glass in the main hall with clear windows so we can get more light into the space. The main hall will be re-decorated, including sanding & re-sealing the floor. The new extension will be built next year, to avoid the bad weather and reduce disruption. The extension hosts solar PV panels which will generate 40% of our electric consumption, with new LED electric lighting, roof, floor & wall insulation reducing the utilities bill. There is an outside patio and green space accessible from the new extension. The meeting room will be enlarged & made comfy whilst the kitchen will be re-positioned & enlarged. The car park build is planned for Autumn with a short period of road closure being necessary. The gable end & roof of the entrance / current toilets will also be made watertight. Contractors for the above works have, or are being procured.
Funding for the next steps is from a number of sources, and work to finalise the budgets & bids is now possible with planning consent. We have a busy period ahead of us, but we’ll see positive changes very shortly.
You can see the approved drawings here:
APP_2022_1525-APPROVED_-_FLOOR_PLAN_AND_SECTIONS-10152849
APP_2022_1525-APPROVED_-_PROPOSED_ELEVATIONS-10152857
APP_2022_1525-APPROVED_-_SITE_PLAN-10152837
Update: 15th August 2022
Public comments on the planning application are now closed, and we will now work with the Architect & Council to consider the responses received. The building warrant application is submitted. Two dead trees in the front of the hall have been felled, which was agreed on the previous planning application in 2019. The wood will be planked by Drummuir Sawmill, and when dry we’ll use the sycamore for decorative joinery inside the hall. Three more trees (all sycamore) need to come down, as they are either dying or the root growth is towards the septic tank. This wood will also be used for decorative joinery. We’ll auction off the remainder we can’t re-use for firewood, with proceeds going to pay for the tree surgery bill. More trees will be planted to make up for felling, adding to the 40 already planted. The National Lottery has kindly funded the tree planting & hedging.
The next practical step will be to start the repair of the outside gable ends to the toilets & roof area. This work is kindly sponsored by Carnie Glass Community Trust (Engie) and Clashindarroch Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund (Vattenfall). It will make the existing toilets water and wind tight, so they can be made more visually appealing in the interim with new decor. It also means the plaster can be stabilised when we come to re-develop this area.
Finally, we have one Hall resident we must take special care of – a soprano pipistrelle bat. We have agreed a plan with Nature Scot to avoid disturbance and just in case more free lodgers arrive we’ll provide new first class accommodation in concrete bat boxes to mitigate the loss of roof access.
Update: 14th July 2022
Planning Application: Our Next Step
We received notification today that our planning application is valid for re-developing the Hall. It will now go through the standard planning process. Regardless of the scale of changes all public buildings must apply for planning permission, there is no ‘permitted development’.
The feedback obtained from the community and the hard work of the committee has prepared feasible plans with the funding we can obtain. We recycled as much of the new hall plans as we could. We have also kept an eye on the future to encourage wider use of a flexible facility.
The community consultation specified a list of requirements for the committee to action. A 24 hour accessible WC, presentable internal décor, a size of facility easy to fundraise for, a safe outside space for younger people to use when at the Hall, an effective heating system, more storage, a meeting space independent of the main hall, levelling the main hall floor, and a more usable kitchen space. We’ve managed to achieve all these requests in the new design. But, compromises are unavoidable. Our new kitchen is tighter in size than the new build plans, and we are still considering how best to completely insulate the building (not just the loft, for which we have funding). There are less visible requirements to meet too: a set number of parking spaces mandated by the Council, a new sewage treatment unit to replace the old septic tank, and the potential to create our own energy with solar panels.
All of this requires money, and we’ve managed to secure funding for the first steps (outside spaces, indoor remedial works to toilet the gable ends, insulating the loft). We turned our attention in June to funding the toilet extension, re-modelling the kitchen and meeting room, and other works. We also require a building warrant. The architectural work, engineering certification & quantity surveying is already underway for this.
Update: 27th June 2022
The Outdoor Community Space is Opening Up
Today we tested ground conditions to prepare for the installation of the car park surface and drainage. The surface will be laid in October by our chosen contractor, and will be a honeycomb structure suitable for planting glass and wildflowers in the lattice work. The honeycomb is made from recycled electrical cable sheathing. There is also a lay-by to install, an entry and exit, and underground services. The geotechnical test will help determine the exact depth of aggregate for the surface. Getting this right means we guarantee the surface’s life and eliminates over-specified materials. It also lets us re-purpose some of the existing car park near the Hall for an underground sewage treatment plant and an extension housing storage and accessible WCs.
In addition to the car park we will lay 200m of new hedging in the winter, plant more native trees and make preparations for a covered seating & BBQ area. This is in addition to the 40 trees and shrubs already planted (and happily growing!). Thanks to Tom Macpherson for the digger work. Raeburn Drilling & Geotechnical provided the technical input.
Update: 23rd June 2022
We have good news to share about our re-development. After bidding for funds we have been kindly offered grant awards & support for the following;
- Gable End roof & wall repairs (essential as a result of advice from our Structural Engineers)
- Repairs to the guttering & walls.
- Insulation for the roof spaces for the main hall & toilets/entrance
- Road works & civil engineering to a ‘green space’ over the road from the Hall for events, car parking & sports.
- Preparatory design work for a new entrance, much needed further storage & outside accessible loos.
Works will commence when our appointed contractors are ready to go. We’ll put a call out for volunteers to help with insulating the loft & re-decorating the loos.
This phase of re-development helps in various ways. It controls operating costs so we can do our best to not pass on some of the higher electric bills to users – events, sporting and social clubs, & private hirers. We can re-decorate the toilets (once plastered) because the Hall will be water tight. Opening the green space gives us much needed flexibility to host outdoor events and replaces some of the car parking we’ll lose due to re-development of the site. If we experience circumstances again which stop indoor events we’ll have the option to meet outdoors. The Hall will also be greener – less energy is needed to heat and light it. Finally, it enables us to plan a space which can be more flexibility used by a wider pool of the community.
Our next phase re-positions the toilets, re-purposes the existing loos into a kitchen & store, and transforms the green room at the back of the Hall. We need to raise the funds to do this bigger parcel of works, and fundraising work began in May 2022.
Many thanks to our supporters for this part of the re-development – James & Moira Ingleby, Aswanley Estate, Edinglassie Estate, Clashindarroch Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund (Vattenfall), Dorenell Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund (EDF), Cairnie Glass Community Trust (Engie), & the Glens of Foudland Community Benefit Fund (RES).
13th June Meeting
Following the meeting on Monday 13th June please find attached the links to the presentation made and the minutes taken.
Glass-Community-Hall-Re-Development-Launch-13-June-2022
Glass Community Hall Re-Development Launch 13 June 2022 GCA EGM Minutes 13_06_2022
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer your help then please contact Tom, details are on page 9 of the presentation.
News
Following the community consultation the committee will now begin a gradual re-development of the existing Hall. Our plans for a new hall have been forced to adapt because of construction costs and changes in the way we get a new facility funded. We will re-use certain elements from the new hall plans, merging them into a facility which better meets our community’s use of the space. Your feedback given in the community consultation will help steer this work. The extent of the works require fundraising, so the pace of re-development depends on successful bids from a range of supporters.
If you’d like to volunteer your time for the project then send us a message using the ‘contact us’ form. You don’t need specific expertise, just the enthusiasm and some time to help out. But…. if you do have specific construction-related skills and can volunteer some time then get in touch. We’re all volunteers, and adding more resource to the project means it’s done quicker!
The re-development is delivered by a sub-group of the committee. This is led by Marc Day (procurement; construction, architectural and structural engineering liaison) and Rachael Ashley (fundraising) with the workload shared between Tom Macpherson, Eoin Harrold, Jonathan Laird, and Andrew Mitchell.
More details about our plan will be given on 13th June (7:30pm) at Glass Hall. Marc Day will share the re-development steps and the sub-group will be ready to answer questions, gather ideas and meet volunteers. A summary of the launch will be added to this part of the website.
We’ll also keep you updated as we progress the re-development.
Community Consultation