Dougall Baillie Associates
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Issue 323 : Dec 2024

Dougall Baillie Associates

Dougall Baillie Associates’ expansion triggers recruitment and training drive to help it fulfil new contracts

Dougall Baillie Associates (DBA), the East Kilbride-based independent engineering consultancy, is seeking to hire six new recruits to help it fulfil a series of recently won contracts. The 40-strong East Kilbride firm, which has emerged strongly from the pandemic with a clutch of high-profile new business, wants to hire a Principal Structural Engineer, a Senior Transportation Engineer, a Senior Civil Engineer and an Engineer with experience in, residential infrastructure, plus a graduate engineer and a graduate apprentice. Fergus Adams, Managing Director of DBA, said: “All of these positions are as a result of recent contract wins which is a real positive given the impact of the pandemic. “We know the market is competitive and we are keen to stress the benefits of working here, notably the option of our hybrid – home office model. Further details of the roles can be found on our website. “In addition, we have a well-established Training Agreement in place, certified by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). The quality of the experience available means that we have a near 100% success rate at the Chartered Professional Review. “We are delighted to be presenting a further three Engineers for the Chartered Professional Review this year. We are keen to continue to “grow our own” talent as well as recruiting externally”. Scott MacPhail, DBA director and Ambassador for the University of Strathclyde Graduate Apprenticeship programme, said: “We have a strong track record of internal promotions, with a number of colleagues who joined us straight from school progressing to roles as senior engineers and technicians, and we are keen to get that message out to parents, teachers and lecturers”. One such example is Kieran Duffy who initially joined DBA three years ago as a trainee technician and only a two years of his Graduate Apprenticeship to run. As part of his study course Kieran, who secured an HNC at Glasgow Kelvin College and currently attends day release classes in civil engineering at the University of Strathclyde, won the coveted title Apprentice of the Year at the 2020 Lanarkshire Business Awards. He said: “DBA is a great company to work in, and a great place to learn and earn at the same time. I was impressed by the number of colleagues who started here and have gone down the same route as me, so they know what it is like to cope with working and studying at the same time.” Another DBA colleague, Megan McGaw, is at the same stage as Kieran, and is currently completing her second year at the University of Strathclyde. She said: “Opportunities for motivated people are always available at DBA and I am delighted to be in a position where I can directly link my work as a paid trainee technician with the material I have been studying at University.” While residential homes work now comprises some 70% of the DBA portfolio, the company is enjoying regrowth in Transportation Engineering following the Covid crisis, with a recent commission for the COP26 conference amongst the high-profile projects. The company has also been involved in a number of business and leisure proposals which would see vacant city centre sites redeveloped.

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Dougall Baillie chalks up another new contract win for long-awaited Ayr residential development

Independent consulting engineer Dougall Baillie Associates (DBA) has secured a significant contract at a major development site near Ayr which, in its initial phase, could provide 750 new homes for the fast-growing area. DBA has been instructed by Allanvale Land Investments to provide key transportation, road and bridge engineering design services at Corton, in the Southeast Ayr strategic expansion site. The site has been undeveloped for some years and has passed through different ownerships, but necessary consents are in place and the current developer now plans to be on site by summer this year. As well as the residential element, the development, on the east side of the A77 near Ayr Hospital, will include retail, employment and local community uses and will help bring to fruition part of South Ayrshire Council’s local development plan. It is the latest in a series of contract wins within residential developments which have seen DBA being asked by developers to provide professional services for schemes in Scotland with values of up to £200 million, adding over 2000 new homes to the housing stock. Stuart Harrow, Transportation Director at DBA, said: “Corton is a transformative development, representing the first phase of a larger, long term Strategic Expansion Site which could eventually feature up to 2700 new homes. “Major residential developers have expressed keen interest in being part of the project and the current developers have identified great potential in what is a vibrant area in which to live and work.” DBA has prepared a major Transport Assessment for the development Masterplan, considering the sustainability and integration of transport solutions and roads infrastructure interventions on both the local and trunk networks. It will work with Transport Scotland, Ayrshire Roads Alliance and the council on internal roads at the site and junction and capacity improvement as well as delivering a footbridge across the A77 to allow pedestrian access to the site. DBA’s Managing Director Fergus Adams said that ongoing work inflows had increased turnover by over 15% to £3.5 million in the financial year to April and, subject to coronavirus effects, he was forecasting further growth to April 2021. While residential homes work now comprises some 80% of the DBA portfolio, the firm has also marked up a number of significant scores in transport infrastructure, such as its involvement in the recently-opened £14.1 million M8/A8 interchange at Bishopton in Renfrewshire in consultation with Renfrewshire Council, SEPA, Transport Scotland and BAA. The firm has also been concerned in projects in mega shopping centres such as Braehead and Silverburn in Glasgow and the Union Square development in Aberdeen.

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