Building Scotland Fund: FOI release

Information requested

1. Please provide the criteria or scorecarding approach which was/is used to screen the clients and/or projects financed by the Building Scotland Fund.

2. Please provide me with information to supplement the list of investments (https://www.gov.scot/policies/economic-growth/building-scotland-fund/) as follows:

(A) In each case, if the client was local government, a housing association, some other form of not-for-profit entity, or a private company.

(B) In the case of residences, what proportion of accommodation in each project can be classified as affordable housing.

(C) Measures incorporated into the design of each project to reduce environmental impact or generate their own renewable electricity, if any.

Response

Much of the information you are seeking is readily available on the Building Scotland website, however, I have expanded/extracted the published information to respond to your request.

1. The link below will take you to the current BSF eligibility criteria, in place since October 2019. Please note the projects which BSF is currently supporting with loan investment were assessed using the pre October 2019 application criterion, as these refreshed requirements were not all in place when these applicants first submitted to BSF. BSF strengthened the criteria to make mandatory requirements in relation to low carbon and fair work practices which can now be seen in the refreshed application form.
https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-scotland-fund/pages/eligibility/

The Building Scotland Fund has also supported projects through £25m of BSF funding invested in the Scottish Government’s SPRUCE fund.
SPRUCE also has an defined Investment Policy which sets the parameters for the sectors and projects that can be supported through the deployment of the fund’s capital. This may include, but is not limited to, activity which meets overarching parameters of (i) forming part of an integrated urban development plan, (ii) meeting Scottish Government policy objectives (iii) addressing market failures, demonstrating strong regeneration rationale and generating direct employment benefits to local residents and (iv) meeting the aims of the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Strategy.

2. Please provide me with information to supplement the list of investments (https://www.gov.scot/policies/economic-growth/building-scotland-fund/) as follows:

Project	Description	(A) In each case, if the client was local government, a housing association, some other form of not-for-profit entity, or a private company	(B) In the case of residences, what proportion of accommodation in each project can be classified as affordable housing.	(C) Measures incorporated into the design of each project to reduce environmental impact or generate their own renewable electricity, if any.
Rikeja	Conversion of a hotel into 11 apartments	Private Company – Small Medium Enterprise (SME)	Nil	Air source heat pump being installed.
Athron Hil	New Build of 35 Family Homes	Private Company – Small Medium Enterprise (SME)	Nil	Nil
Axil Estates	Conversion & repurposing of existing building to provide 8 new homes	Private Company – Small Medium Enterprise (SME)	Nil	With regards to low carbon initiates, the 4 new build houses will have solar panels for electricity generation. The construction of the steading and new-build houses, will be with the current standards of insulation which significantly reduces the heat loss and consequently the use of energy  to  warm them up. Thirdly, the use of underfloor heating in all the steading houses and new-build houses, reduces the amount of energy required to heat them up.
VKRR	Conversion &repurposing of office block to provide 5 homes	Private Company – Small Medium Enterprise (SME)	Nil	EPC tbc
Stewart Milne Group	To support the construction of 300 homes across 3 Local Authority areas	Private Company	Nil	EPC B
SIGMA	The development and construction of between 1500 to 1800 new build houses for rent	Private Company	Nil	EPC tbc
Winchburgh	The development of 3000 new homes as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.	Private Equity Partnership	700 homes to be made available for affordable and social rent	EPC tbc
SPRUCE	NW1A – Grade A Office Space @ Edinburgh Park	Private Company	Not housing	Targeting BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC ‘A’ rating.
SPRUCE	Larkhall Properties – Refurbishment of McLellan Works Chancerygate Ltd –	Private Company	Not housing	The design also includes LG7 compliant high specification Luxonic LED lighting and PIR sensors.
SPRUCE	Chancerygate Ltd – Development of Trade Park @ Livingstone	Private Company	Not Housing	The completed building’s green initiatives include: Low air permeability design 2 Electric vehicle charging points per unit 15% warehouse roof lights increasing natural lighting High performance insulated cladding and roof materials
SPRUCE	Signal Capital – Refurbishment of 55 Douglas Street, Glasgow	Private Company	Not Housing	Targeting an EPC ‘B’ rating and the design includes electrical vehicle charging points.

About FOI

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