Wates has been chosen as the primary contractor for the building of a £33 million education campus and community sports facility in Whitehaven, Cumbria.

Subject to planning, work on the site is expected to commence in February next year, with the planning application expected to be submitted in December once the design work has been finalised.

Cumbria County Council is leading the project, along with backing from Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Copeland Community Fund and Britain’s Energy Coast.

The project will include new facilities for Mayfield Special School and St Benedict’s Catholic High School, with them all being brought together on the existing St Benedict’s site.

Business Unit Director for Wates Construction North West, Tony Shenton, commented: “The partners leading the development of Campus Whitehaven share a vision to create a state-of-the-art centre for learning and sport, and Wates’ extensive experience in education positions us as the ideal contracting partner to take this forward.

Shenton also believes that Wates’ growing presence in Cumbria has seen the company launch a significant local economic benefits strategy which will ensure that their work is a catalyst for the region’s economy.

“As such, we will now be working with local supply chain partners and training providers to generate training and employment opportunities throughout the build programme,” he added.

Last month, Wates Construction strengthened its design management function with the appointment of Will Freeman as the company’s new Design Director throughout London and the south.

Freeman joined the firm from Atkins where, over the course of three years, he grew the company’s London architecture practice from a team of 20 to 170.

He also spent three years as Head of Design Development for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).

At Wates he will lead the design management function across London and the South as part of the contractor’s strategy to deliver further enhanced project value and minimise risk.