Morgan Sindall has started construction work on Hertfordshire’s first full net-zero carbon school. The Buntingford First School, which is being funded by Hertfordshire County Council and built by Morgan Sindall Construction’s Northern Home Counties business, will open for September 2023 and will be operated by the Scholars Education Trust.

This is the first school in the county to be built and operate at net zero carbon, in line with the Hertfordshire County Council’s sustainability strategy and ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030. It will utilise a Passivhaus design which will improve the school’s air quality, reduce carbon emissions and lower its energy running costs.

“We are proud to commence work at the first net-zero school in Hertfordshire, which hopefully will be the first of many. At Morgan Sindall Construction, we understand that the spaces children learn in have a vital and lasting impact on their education. The Northern Home Counties team is well experienced in delivering state-of-the-art educational facilities that inspire pupils, and we look forward to providing a high-end environment for Buntingford’s growing community,” said David Rowsell, Morgan Sindall Construction’s Northern Home Counties Area Director.

“By ensuring Buntingford School is carbon-neutral, we are not only futureproofing the site for generations of students, but we are also ensuring that our region plays an active role in combatting the climate crisis,” he added.

As part of the highly sustainable project, over 300 solar panels, triple-glazing windows and air-source heat pumps will be installed. The new school will also include a rooftop outdoor classroom, play areas and a “forest school”. In addition, all the teaching spaces in the school will face north, avoiding south-facing windows that cause rooms to over-heat, while social areas such as the school dining halls and common rooms will face south.

The new 330-pupil school, which has ten classrooms and incorporates a nursery, will be built on the former Sainsbury’s depot site, adjoining the Bury Football Club who will share the site with the new School.

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