Seven UK schools have been selected to take part in an £18.6 million innovative Decarbonisation Pilot, led by the Department for Education (DfE). The pilot will see schools benefit from new low carbon heating solutions, as well as improvements to the buildings fabric to make the school more thermal efficient,
Urban Group (York) Ltd has secured a £7.85 million project to improve Callington Road Hospital. Urban Group started work last month and the 18-month project will deliver improvements to four buildings on the site. Interior works will include reconfiguration of the space, as well as the installation of new bedrooms,
The University of Nottingham has appointed Henry Brothers Construction for the redevelopment of Castle Meadow Campus (CMC). The construction firm has been awarded a £7 million contract to remodel and refurbish two of seven buildings on the 3.75 hectare site – preparing them for future occupation. The university plans to
Contractor Henry Brothers Construction has delivered a £12m refurbishment scheme for The University of Manchester. The project involved the complete refurbishment of floors four and five of the Chemistry Building, along with work to the level eight plantroom, roof and external ductwork and services. It included reorganising the layout of
Work has begun on a multimillion-poundextension at a school in Cheshire to create additional places. The scheme being undertaken by Salford-based MC Construction at Springfield School in Crewe will help address an urgent need for extra provision in the area for children with complex needs. The project involves building a
Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading education fitout specialists, has been awarded its 16th contract for Morrison Construction. The new project involves the provision of around 6,000 items of loose and fitted furniture for a primary school and community hub now under construction in Aberdeen. This contract for Greyhope School
MP Rishi Sunak took part in a special ground-breaking ceremony at the site of a new multi-million pound primary school in Northallerton. Mr Sunak, who is the MP for Richmond in North Yorkshire, joined the milestone occasion which signalled the start of construction at the Alvertune Road site. Also in
A special breaking ground celebration was held last week to mark the start of construction to build Oriel, a new eye care, research and education centre in Camden. The integrated centre will be the new home to Oriel partners: Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology
Construction company Kier has been appointed by the Department of Education to deliver a new primary school in Havering, London. The two-form entry primary school will offer 462 places for students and includes a 30-place nursery as well as a special educational needs learning space for twelve pupils with autism
Ashe Construction has been appointed by Milton Keynes Council to deliver £24 million in community projects. The contract covers the creation of a new primary school and community health hub off junction 14 of the M1. The scheme is part of the the Council’s MK East development, which will include
Seven UK schools have been selected to take part in an £18.6 million innovative Decarbonisation Pilot, led by the Department for Education (DfE). The pilot will see schools benefit from new low carbon heating solutions, as well as improvements to the buildings fabric to make the school more thermal efficient, all procured through Fusion21 frameworks. Energy bills and carbon emissions in the public and higher education sectors shows that schools and universities represent 36% of total UK public sector building emissions. The transformational work to reduce carbon emissions to make those schools selected as part of the pilot, significantly more energy efficient has recently got underway. Where necessary, the schools’ building fabric will be improved with upgrades ranging from new electrics, roofs and ceilings to new doors and windows amid a government drive to make educational buildings greener. The contractors were appointed via Fusion21’s Decarbonisation and Heating & Renewables frameworks which ensures housing, local authority, education, blue light and health sectors maximise social value in contracts. All Fusion21 contractors are committed to ensuring social value is embedded into their work ranging from employing locally where possible to apprenticeships and community projects. Schools involved in the pilot and the estimated makeover value: Trust name School Contractor and Fusion21 framework used Estimated total value School location Waterton Academy Trust West End Academy Kensa Contracting Ltd: Heating and Renewables Framework £3m Wakefield The Rose Learning Trust Richmond Hill Primary Academy Kensa Contracting Ltd: Heating and Renewables Framework £3.4m Doncaster North West Academies Trust Acton CofE Primary Academy GRAHAM Asset Management Ltd t/a GRAHAM: Decarbonisation Framework £2m Nantwich North West Academies Trust Calveley Primary Academy GRAHAM Asset Management Ltd t/a GRAHAM: Decarbonisation Framework £1.8m Tarporley BMAT Roydon Primary Academy Dodd Group (Midlands) Limited: Heating and Renewables Framework £2.1m Essex Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership Peasedown St John Primary School Dodd Group (Midlands) Limited: Heating and Renewables Framework £3.4m Bath St Mary’s Academy St Mary’s Academy Dodd Group (Midlands) Limited: Heating and Renewables Framework £2.9m Hitchin Today, Oliver Mooney, Head of Category at Fusion21 said: “It is fantastic to have been involved in such an important Department for Education project and to support the schools who used our framework to appoint the contractors for these transformational, multi-million pound improvement works which will vastly improve the buildings, bring huge energy savings and carbon emission reductions and ensure pupils, teachers and parents are playing an important role in decarbonisation and Net Zero ambitions”. The UK government is committed to climate action and has set out targets in its strategy to 2050. This project will support the drive for existing school buildings to be adapted and new ones designed adequately to respond to climate change and reduce emissions. The pilot will provide a valuable opportunity to learn more about alternative greener heating solutions and to use the learnings to consider how this can be scaled up to accelerate decarbonisation in the future. Research found that in 2019 schools alone were spending around £630m per annum on energy – with today’s figure expected to be much higher. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme will provide £1.425 billion of grant funding for public sector bodies to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures, including schools over the financial years 2022-2023 to 2024-2025.
Urban Group (York) Ltd has secured a £7.85 million project to improve Callington Road Hospital. Urban Group started work last month and the 18-month project will deliver improvements to four buildings on the site. Interior works will include reconfiguration of the space, as well as the installation of new bedrooms, wards, a kitchen and multi-purpose rooms for meetings, consulting and supervision, as well as a therapy suite, workshops and a de-escalation centre. To help meet sustainability targets, and contribute significantly to the care and recovery environment, energy efficient LED lighting will be installed, with appropriate dimming and automatic switching. Building temperature control and heat emitters will be enhanced and the design incorporates the most recent standards in insulation, lighting, low-carbon heating. The Bristol Hospital is for people experiencing serious mental health conditions. Working on behalf of the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, the project forms part of the successful Healthier Together bid to NHS England for the consolidation of inpatient services. Jimmy Crowe, Commercial Director, explains: “The reconfiguration and improvements to Callington Road hospital will bring together inpatient facilities, creating a centre of excellence offering a wide range of specialist therapies in a supportive environment. “This co-location of services will enable the Trust to share specialist skills and resources on the one site, as well as achieving economies of scale. “Working within a live environment is always a challenge and one which we have a lot of experience in successfully delivering. We will work closely with the client’s team to manage the sequencing and project timetable to fit in with the ongoing clinical needs of this operational site.” Charlotte Scully, from Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, said: “Urban Group has extensive experience and a dedicated hands-on approach. We look forward to working with them to achieve our vision of integrated health and social care and sustainable provision of mental health inpatient services across the Bristol area. “Supporting our community based services, the investment into Callington Road hospital will provide enhanced in-patient support bringing together a range of skills, specialisms and therapies.” Callington Road Hospital opened in 2006, providing psychiatric inpatient and community services for Bristol and the surrounding region. The landscaped grounds include paths, water features and gardens. The re-design has been led by AHR Architects, which has experience in Mental Health design. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The University of Nottingham has appointed Henry Brothers Construction for the redevelopment of Castle Meadow Campus (CMC). The construction firm has been awarded a £7 million contract to remodel and refurbish two of seven buildings on the 3.75 hectare site – preparing them for future occupation. The university plans to create an enterprise campus on the site which is located on Castle Meadow Road at the foot of Nottingham Castle and was formerly occupied by HMRC. The development has now entered its latest phase, with contractors being appointed to convert the site’s buildings and landscape to kickstart the creation of a new city centre campus for the university. Managing director of Nottingham-based Henry Brothers Construction Ian Taylor said: “This is a hugely exciting project for the University of Nottingham and for the city, and we are proud to be playing a part in it. “Henry Brothers has extensive experience of working with universities across the Midlands to improve their facilities. This is our first contract with the University of Nottingham, and we are really looking forward to getting on site in our home city to deliver some of the building work at Castle Meadow Campus.” Henry Brothers Construction has been appointed to strip out and refurbish buildings D and F on the site. On completion of the work in building D later this year, the facility will be used for long-term leases for the university’s industry partners, including leading global accountancy firm KPMG. The plan is for building F to also house industry partners – but predominantly innovative spin outs, start-ups, and scale ups on flexible licenses. It will include spaces for collaborative working, hot-desking, meeting rooms, and meeting pods. The refurbishment is due to be completed in early 2024. Other members of the team working alongside Henry Brothers on the design and build contract are project manager Aecom, quantity surveyor Gardiner & Theobald, concept architect Hopkins, engineer Arup, architect Bond Bryan, and landscape architect Ares Design. Henry Brothers Construction is part of The Henry Group, which comprises a number of manufacturing and construction sector companies, ranging from external construction through to interiors fit out. In partnership with its valued clients, it has a proven track record in education, defence, commercial, industrial, transport and healthcare sectors. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Contractor Henry Brothers Construction has delivered a £12m refurbishment scheme for The University of Manchester. The project involved the complete refurbishment of floors four and five of the Chemistry Building, along with work to the level eight plantroom, roof and external ductwork and services. It included reorganising the layout of the two floors to create flexible lab space to feature new fume cupboards and fixed benching, dedicated write-up spaces with glazed screens for visibility throughout the lab, modern offices, and attractive break-out areas. One of the key features of the project was the external ventilation ducts running up the side of the building which feed into floors four and five (and the other floors in future refurbishment phases). These ducts were connected to the existing fans in the 1960s-built, seven-storey building, which houses one of the largest Chemistry departments in the UK. Managing Director of Henry Brothers Construction Ian Taylor said: “We were delighted to have been appointed on our first contract at The University of Manchester, which represented an expansion for Henry Brothers into the North West. “The result of this refurbishment scheme on floors four and five of the Chemistry Building, along with work to the level eight plantroom and services, is first class. Researchers will now be working in and enjoying modern laboratories, offices, and break-out areas. These upgraded new facilities give researchers access to some of the most up-to-date amenities, helping the University to retain its position as one of the best places to study Chemistry.” The project was the latest in a number of schemes that Henry Brothers has delivered at UK universities and followed a £30m refurbishment scheme at the W and S Buildings at Loughborough University. Procured through the Crown Commercial Services Framework, The University of Manchester contract marked Henry Brothers’ expansion into the North West last year following sustained growth across the Midlands.The design team for the refurb included Gardiner and Theobold as NEC project manager, RLB as quantity surveyor, Halliday Meecham Architects, structural engineers Curtins and EDPI for M&E services, with sub-contractors William Bailey and Electract providing mechanical and electrical services for Henry Brothers. Henry Brothers Construction is part of The Henry Group, which comprises a number of manufacturing and construction sector companies, ranging from external construction through to interiors fit-out. In partnership with clients, it has a proven track record in education, defence, accommodation, commercial, industrial, transport and healthcare sectors. For more information, visit www.henrybrothers.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work has begun on a multimillion-poundextension at a school in Cheshire to create additional places. The scheme being undertaken by Salford-based MC Construction at Springfield School in Crewe will help address an urgent need for extra provision in the area for children with complex needs. The project involves building a wrap-around extension to the school’s existing sports pavilion to create eight new classrooms, ancillary spaces including calm rooms, a sensory room and a therapy room, new hygiene suites and toilets, as well as extending and remodelling existing kitchen facilities. Springfield is rated as outstanding by Ofsted and was named 2022 School of the Year in the National Schools Awards. It caters for pupils aged from four to 19 with severe learning difficulties and complex needs, including autism. Cheshire East Council’s southern planning committee unanimously backed the extension scheme to alleviate the shortfall in places at the school. Demand for specialist school provision is at an all-time high in the area. The new block is scheduled to be ready for use in September 2024. Russ Forshaw, managing director of MC Construction, said: “We’re delighted to be returning to Springfield School and to be once again partnering with Cheshire East Council. “We have a strong track record of delivering education projects across the region, and the construction of the new teaching block will be our largest to date. “This is a significant and important scheme which will greatly enhance provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities in the local authority area. “Our team has proven experience in delivering major projects in sensitive environments and we’re looking forward to delivering a new facility of the highest quality.” The contract was procured through the North West Construction Hub framework. The architect for the scheme is Halliday Meecham and the quantity surveyor is Currie & Brown. Other professionals involved in the project include construction design and management adviser David Trowler Associates, mechanical, electrical and plumbing consultancy Davies Partnership and structural engineer Sutcliffe. Lisa Hodgkison, headteacher at Springfield School, said: “We are delighted to have MC Construction working alongside us to build this much-needed expansion for Springfield. “They have made a fantastic start and are extremely keen to work with us to ensure our school day is unaffected. They will also be educating our young people on each stage of the build project, to keep them involved in the process. “The expansion will enable us to provide education and support for more children and families within our immediate locality, where we know there is such great demand for specialist places.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading education fitout specialists, has been awarded its 16th contract for Morrison Construction. The new project involves the provision of around 6,000 items of loose and fitted furniture for a primary school and community hub now under construction in Aberdeen. This contract for Greyhope School and Community Hub follows the successful completion of Countesswells Primary School – Deanestor’s latest school fitout to be delivered for the same project team. Both projects are for Aberdeen City Council, and are with main contractor Morrison and delivery authority Hub North Scotland. The architects are Halliday Fraser Munro. The new £18m Countesswells Primary School was handed over a month ahead of programme. This will serve the growing local community, catering for up to 434 pupils with an additional 60 early learning and childcare places. Deanestor fitted out 74 rooms across the two-storey school, providing nearly 5,000 items of fitted and loose furniture. These included curved shelving, bag and shoe storage, learning walls, changing benches, seating, and storage solutions. Michael Black, Construction Manager at Morrison Construction, said, “Deanestor contributed to a very successful project at Countesswells. This new two-stream school was handed over defect-free four weeks early, which was a considerable achievement.” “The fitout went very well – from the technical drawings produced by Deanestor at the early stages to the high standard of workmanship in the factory and on site. They are part of our established supply chain, and we are looking forward to working with their team on the Greyhope School project, which is now underway.” Martin Greig, Councillor and Education and Children’s Services Convener at Aberdeen City Council, said, “Deanestor has a great willingness to work collaboratively with us to inform the design process from both a cost-centred perspective and to ensure the required technical performance. Their team’s use of 3D technology, participation in workshops, and flexible approach allow us to fine tune the specification of the furniture very easily to meet our stakeholders’ requirements. The furniture is robust and will be easy to maintain.” “At Countesswells, we chose neutral colours for the walls and flooring, and grey, white, and grey wood-effect finishes for the fitted furniture to create a calming environment. Bright pops of colour are then highlighted to enliven the spaces and create identities for different zones and year groups. These colours provide an element of fun and are picked out in some of the fittings. Following the success of this project, Greyhope School will follow an identical design theme.” A spokesperson for the Aberdeen City Council Client Team working on the Greyhope School and Community Hub Project said, “Deanestor has been easy to work with and went the extra mile to achieve client results in creating excellent collaborative, interesting and functional spaces for the school and the community – and in particular, the school classrooms, community library/cafe and the community general office space. We are looking forward to working with the Deanestor team once again.” Ramsay McDonald, Managing Director for Deanestor in Scotland said, “We are delighted to be working on another school project with this award-winning construction team. It will create a truly inspirational learning environment for local children and invaluable community facilities. Our team did a fantastic job of delivering our contract and contributing to the early handover.” Greyhope School and Community Hub represents a £28m investment by Aberdeen City Council to provide a new primary school and a range of amenities for the local community including a café, library, performance facilities and housing office. The school will accommodate 434 pupils and a further 100 children in an early years centre. Deanestor’s contract at Greyhope School is for the fitted furniture for 117 rooms which will be finished in graphite grey and white, and loose items supplied in a palette of bright colours – lime green, yellow, powder blue, parrot green and tangerine. Items manufactured by Deanestor will include a trophy cabinet, tilt-top tables, worktops, desks, storage solutions, lockers, and teaching walls. Deanestor manufactures and installs robust and flexible loose and fixed furniture solutions for early years, primary, SEN, and secondary education, fitting out areas such as classrooms, science laboratories, ICT, design and technology, atria, social dining spaces, break-out areas, sports facilities, and changing rooms. For further information, visit www.deanestor.co.uk/education, call 01623 420041 or email enquiries@deanestor.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
MP Rishi Sunak took part in a special ground-breaking ceremony at the site of a new multi-million pound primary school in Northallerton. Mr Sunak, who is the MP for Richmond in North Yorkshire, joined the milestone occasion which signalled the start of construction at the Alvertune Road site. Also in attendance were representatives from North Yorkshire Council, the Dales Academies Trust and the contractors, Hobson & Porter. The school, which academy leaders have promised will be a “flagship of excellence”, will be run by the Dales Academies Trust and will be based in the northern part of Northallerton, where a major new housing development is being built. The Dales Academies Trust was selected as the sponsor for the school following a competitive process, which attracted interest from several trusts. The trust has announced the new educational establishment will be called Oakbridge Church of England Primary School and will begin welcoming its first pupils in September next year. The 2024 opening date gives certainty to the availability of school places in a part of North Yorkshire where housing growth is expected to increase the population. A phased opening will start with reception children in 2024, expanding to the full cohort over seven years. North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, said: “We were delighted to welcome the MP for Richmond Rishi Sunak and are so pleased that work has begun at the new school site. “This demonstrates the council’s commitment to making sure there are the right number of school places, which allows children to be educated in their local communities. “We continue to provide children and young people across North Yorkshire with the best learning environments, enabling all our leaners to thrive. We believe Oakbridge Church of England Primary School is going to be a tremendous asset for the community.” Speaking about his visit, Mr Sunak said: “It was great to see work under way on a very important multi-million-pound investment in education in Northallerton. “This is a vital element of the North Northallerton development project, part of making sure the new housing has the appropriate infrastructure in place to support the families that will be moving here.” The school’s location is close to the new link road which spans the site earmarked for housing, ensuring access for pupils, staff and other members of the public is convenient. Nikkie Godbold, director of primary for Dales Academies Trust and executive headteacher of the new school, said: “We considered at length the naming of the school. Ultimately, we were inspired by an oak tree in the vicinity of the development and the new bridge at the other end of the road on which the school is situated.” Richard Hunter, managing director at Hobson & Porter, which has been awarded the contract to build the school, said: “Starting work on this new school is an exciting moment for everyone involved with this project. “There’s no doubt that once it’s complete, this school will become a hugely valuable part of the local community.” The site was acquired through a planning condition agreed with a housebuilder developing land nearby and Oakbridge Primary itself will account for investment of more than £7 million when complete. During his visit, the Prime Minister also took time out to see North Yorkshire Council’s Multiply team in action. A series of ‘fun on a budget’ workshops were held for families at the campus in Northallerton. Free activities were held to help with budgeting tips, ideas for free days out and how to enjoy the summer holidays with children while sticking to a budget. The Multiply scheme is an adult numeracy programme which has been allocated £2.6 million to be spent in North Yorkshire through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund up to March 2025. The overall objective of the Multiply programme is to increase the levels of numeracy for adults across the country. Meanwhile, the Multiply team works with community groups and individuals aged 19 and over who would like to feel more confident with maths in everyday life. Anyone interested in finding out more about the courses on offer can email multiplyteam@northyorks.gov.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A special breaking ground celebration was held last week to mark the start of construction to build Oriel, a new eye care, research and education centre in Camden. The integrated centre will be the new home to Oriel partners: Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity. Bouygues UK is the leading contractor who will build the centre which is due to open in 2027. The new centre – part of the New Hospital Programme, the biggest hospital building programme in a generation – will harness the expertise of the partners under one roof to enable closer collaborative working between clinicians and researchers. This will speed up delivery of the highest quality treatments and therapies for patients in the UK and globally. Breaking ground is an important construction milestone which publicly marks the start of building work on site. Guests at the event included Lord Markham CBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, key staff involved in the development and design of Oriel, NHS leaders and leadership donors who are supporting the project. Dr Martin Kuper, Moorfields Eye Hospital chief executive, said: “We have been looking forward to this breaking ground event for a long time. It signifies we are now in the construction stage of the project to build the new home for Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to get us to this stage. This centre will support our global reputation for excellence and help us deliver outstanding care for all our patients.” Professor Alan Thompson, Dean of the UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences, said: “Being part of breaking ground really brought home that construction of our new centre is about to start. This is a hugely exciting milestone for Oriel and a great opportunity to celebrate all the work it has taken to get to this point. Oriel will allow us to drive forward innovation to support our work in the long-term and strengthen our partnership with Moorfields to deliver real benefits for patients.” Robert Dufton, Moorfields Eye Charity chief executive, said: “We were delighted to invite our generous leadership donors to this exciting event. It gave us an opportunity to thank them for their support. Philanthropy is a key part of the Oriel funding mix and has a vital role to secure the future of eye health on a global scale. We look forward to talking to more interested donors.” Fabienne Viala, chair of Bouygues Construction in the United Kingdom, said: “In our construction industry, breaking ground is always a very exciting moment. It signifies a huge step forward to start building and is a real opportunity to celebrate. We are so proud to be the leading contractor for this innovative building which will be an exemplar for accessibility, tailored to the needs of patients, and designed flexibly to meet future needs.” Health Minister Lord Markham said: “It was an honour to attend the breaking ground event to mark the start of construction to build Oriel, which is part of the biggest hospital building in a generation. The new centre will advance eye care, research and education to deliver innovative new ways of working, with closer collaboration between clinicians and researchers, enabling quicker delivery of new treatments and therapies for patients. We continue to work closely with the NHS to improve services and Oriel is part of our commitment to build 40 new hospitals by 2030, which is now expected to be backed by over £20 billion of investment.” Natalie Forrest, senior responsible owner of the New Hospital Programme, said: “This exciting event, which marks the start of construction for the new eye care, research and education hospital is such a momentous milestone. I am delighted to see the project move forward as part of the New Hospital Programme, which marks a step change in how we design and build new hospital facilities. This incredible state-of-the-art facility will transform eye care and health for people across the country.” The Oriel site was previously owned by Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust. In February 2023, Moorfields acquired the site through an NHS-to-NHS transaction approved by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and a £300 million contract was awarded to Bouygues UK to build Oriel. Demolition of six buildings on the Oriel site started in late February and construction of the 10- storey, 47,000 sq. m, centre has now begun on site. To see our timelapse video of demolition on the site please visit Demolition – Oriel (oriel-london.org.uk). The new centre will be located in the heart of the Knowledge Quarter, an internationally renowned hub for science and innovation. It is close to several NHS, commercial and charity partners as well as UCL’s Bloomsbury campus. For the second year running, UCL was named second in the world for the strength of its international research network, which is central to their mission as London’s global university. For more information about Oriel, the construction programme and upcoming milestones please visit www.oriel-london.org.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction company Kier has been appointed by the Department of Education to deliver a new primary school in Havering, London. The two-form entry primary school will offer 462 places for students and includes a 30-place nursery as well as a special educational needs learning space for twelve pupils with autism and speech, language & communication needs. The new building will include teaching spaces as well as dedicated rooms for group activities and therapies. A number of the school’s facilities will also be made available for use by the local community, including the hall, studio and outdoor play areas. The design for the project includes a number of features that aim to boost sustainability such as natural light and natural ventilation, highly-insulated glass to support heat management and onsite solar panels to generate electricity. The new facility is being built for The Emmanuel School Trust, a non-profit charity that manages educational facilities in London. The school will be part of the wider Beam Park residential development, which will deliver over 3,000 new homes to the area. Commenting on the project, Richard Emmerson, Project Director at the Department for Education said: “I am pleased that building has begun on Emmanuel Community School following the design and planning stage. We are moving forward to deliver what will be a first-class facility for this new and growing community. I have worked with Kier before and I know they will do a great job on this project having also worked tirelessly to get to this stage.” Reflecting on the appointment, John Bolton, regional director at Kier Construction London & Southern, said: “We are delighted that we have been appointed by the Department for Education to build the new Emmanuel Community School. The school will play a vital role, ensuring that the new neighbourhood’s expanding population has a safe, secure and stimulating learning environment for pupils to enjoy. “We look forward to using our wealth of experience in building first-class educational facilities to deliver a modern and sustainable school that will positively impact the community for years to come.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Ashe Construction has been appointed by Milton Keynes Council to deliver £24 million in community projects. The contract covers the creation of a new primary school and community health hub off junction 14 of the M1. The scheme is part of the the Council’s MK East development, which will include the creation of 5,000 new homes. The MK East school project, located on the A509, is valued at around £14.5m, and will provide 39 nursery places and 630 primary places. The 3400sq m school will have 21 classrooms and two halls and will be of steel frame construction with brickwork and cladding. Plans for the development include provisions for the creation of a future secondary school further down the road. The sports facilities at the new school will be made available for use by the public. The community health hub is valued at around £9.5m, and will provide a range of primary care, community health and other community-based services. The 1900sq m building will accommodate a community use hall, offices, meeting rooms and children’s centre. Commenting on the plans, Cllr Zoe Nolan, Cabinet Member for Children and Families at MK Council said: “We’re excited to have taken the first major step in this process. The new school will be the first planned primary to be built in the area and we expect it to become an all-through school, providing 630 pupil places and 39 nursery places to an exciting new community. This means no stressful transitions for children as they remain there for both primary and secondary education. With an all-through school, the parents get to build a really strong relationship with the school over that period.” Reflecting on their involvement, Ian Robbins Ashe Construction’s managing director said: “We are very experienced in creating modern education and health facilities and this prestigious project will provide the focal point of a brand-new community. We are excited to be playing our part in delivering high quality facilities that will stand the test of time, for the families who will make the area their home for many years to come.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
