Listen
Three share new building
06/08/2009
A new shared building for three partners in Scotland's Environmental and Rural Services (SEARS) in the Highlands has been opened by Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham today.
'The Links' in Golspie will be shared by staff from Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Scottish Government's Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (SGRPID).
Together with the building's other residents - Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Community Energy Scotland (CES) - the partners aim to share facilities and provide more efficient and effective services in a single location.
Ms Cunningham said:
"I am very pleased to see that three SEARS partners have come together to share this well-designed and wonderfully-located building.
"SEARS is all about efficiency in the public sector and providing an improved service for our land managers. There is no doubt that having three key partners in the same location will make life easier for local land managers.
"The green credentials of 'The Links' are also very strong, having been built using locally-sourced wood, heated by a wood pellet boiler, fully insulated, and making use of low energy lighting.
"Full marks to the three partners - as well as HIE and CES - for having the foresight to get involved and deliver a more effective service, focused on customer needs, and providing easy access to information and advice.
"By approving projects such as this, the Scottish Government is delivering on its intention to increase efficiency and cut bureaucracy in the public sector."
Dave Mackay, SNH Operational Manager for North Highland, added:
"Working in The Links is great and has permitted officers to work much more closely with staff in the other organisations, which has been a big help when assessing applications to the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) and advising land managers."
The Links is an environmentally friendly building, owned and managed by Scottish Natural Heritage. Both a building management group and a staff social group have been established with representation from all the partners.
It gets an overall 'excellent' award using the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) which is the most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings.
Three of the building's five meeting rooms are fitted with video conferencing facilities which allow all the agencies to further reduce travel and their carbon footprint.