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Print articleMembers of the Aberdeen City Council Planning Committee yesterday granted FirstGroup planning approval to develop new global headquarters and bus depot at the King Street site in Aberdeen.
Key features of the development include:
? A proportion of the energy for the new site will be derived through renewable sources including ground source heat pumps and solar panels, and energy will be saved through innovations such as movement responsive lighting.
? Water consumption will be reduced through rainwater harvesting and full recirculation of water in the bus wash process.
? Retention of the historic 1862 listed building as the focal point of the new development.
? New FirstGroup world training centre.
Jayne Maclennan, Director of Property at FirstGroup, said:
?I am very pleased that the Council has given the green light for our innovative and sustainable plans. Whilst it's good news for First, I think it is also an exceptional boost for Aberdeen and the North East. First is the UK's largest transport company and the leader in providing safe, innovative, reliable and sustainable transport services. Globally we transport some 2 billion passengers every year and employ over 74,000 staff throughout the UK and North America. We consider Aberdeen a good place to operate our business from.?
She continued:
?It has been a long journey, but I am genuinely thrilled that construction can now start. Our HQ will be one of the most environmentally friendly developments of its type in the UK. Much of the energy use on the new site will derive from renewable sources and there are features which are designed to reduce energy consumption and waste which will limit the site's impact on the local and global environment.
?The original building was constructed in 1862 for the Royal Aberdeenshire Highlanders and it's a tribute to the architects and builders that it stands today and will continue to provide a base for First in the North East.?
Construction will start in September 2007 and is expected to be complete early 2009. Approximately 160 people will be located at the new headquarters and around 500 people based at the bus depot. In total the site covers over eight acres. Construction will generally take place during normal working hours and all construction vehicles will use a dedicated entrance on Mounthooly Way.
FirstGroup also announced today its plans to provide each member of staff with a ?Green Travel Plan'. Employees will be provided with an individual guide detailing walking/cycling distances, routes and public transport links directly tailored to link their home address to the King Street headquarters. The scheme is designed to encourage First staff to consider an alternative to the car. To further promote the use of public transport, First employees throughout the company are also issued with free travel passes.
?Reducing FirstGroup's carbon footprint is an integral part of our business plan going forward,? added Jayne Maclennan. ?We recently unveiled our climate change strategy where we announced targets to reduce carbon emissions from our buses and trains by 25% and 20% respectively by 2020. Part of our commitment to reducing the collective FirstGroup carbon footprint is to encourage our people to reduce their car journeys. I have every confidence that our Green Travel Plan will prove very successful.?
