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
National youth charity, OnSide has received planning approval for a new Youth Zone in Preston. The state-of-the-art youth centre will provide young people with opportunities to engage in activities and access support from skilled youth workers, helping them to develop their skills and reach their full potential. Expected to open
Net Zero Panels – launching as part of the Premier Modular Group – is driven to minimise construction’s embodied carbon through panelised solutions. Joining the Premier Group alongside Net Zero Buildings (NZB) – which focuses on delivering buildings that are net zero in operation – Net Zero Panels enables a
Leading UK and Ireland offsite manufacturer McAvoy has been awarded a £37.5m project by the Department for Education (DfE) to deliver the new Orsett Heath Academy, part of the South West Essex Community Education Trust (SWECET) in Thurrock, Essex. Commissioned by the Secretary of State for Education, McAvoy has embarked
The new facility has been hailed by Dundee City Council as ‘the most important investment in the city’s future’ Jenny Gilruth MSP, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, yesterday witnessed construction work beginning on an integrated educational and community facility for the east end of Dundee. Pupils joined Ms
Cardiff City Council has appointed Morgan Sindall Construction to carry out enabling works for the rebuild of Willows High School. The enabling works will cost £3.4 million and mark the first step in the existing school being relocated and rebuilt on land off Lewis Road, Splott. The new secondary school
Work is now underway on the much-needed 420-place new primary school in Cringleford near Norwich. A ground-breaking ceremony, which traditionally marks the beginning of construction for new building projects, was attended by: Norfolk County Council, which is funding and commissioning the new school; Inspiration Trust, which will be running it;
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
National youth charity, OnSide has received planning approval for a new Youth Zone in Preston. The state-of-the-art youth centre will provide young people with opportunities to engage in activities and access support from skilled youth workers, helping them to develop their skills and reach their full potential. Expected to open in 2025, the Youth Zone will be located in the town centre on the corner of Crooked Lane and Tithebarn Street. Preston Youth Zone will be open to young people aged 8-19, and up to 25 for those with additional needs, 7 days a week. For just £5 annual membership, plus 50p per visit, young people will have access to world class facilities including a four-court sports hall, rooftop 3G outdoor kick pitch, gym and boxing and martial arts room for sports, as well as a music room with a built-in recording studio, arts and crafts area, climbing wall, dance studio, sensory room, and mentoring kitchen. The Youth Zone will deliver skills and employability workshops in a dedicated enterprise and employability suite, as well as a wide range of programmes, services and activities. Hot, nutritious meals will be available for just £1 from the Youth Zone’s café. In addition to the incredible facilities, trained youth workers and dedicated volunteers will be available 7 days a week to offer guidance and support to help Preston’s young people to thrive. It will create a number of full and part-time jobs and many volunteering opportunities. Preston Youth Zone is being delivered by OnSide, in partnership with Preston City Council and Preston Towns Fund Board who will be contributing towards the building and running costs. In March it was confirmed that the Youth Zone will receive a grant from the DCMS’ Youth Investment Fund which means all of the building costs have now been secured and focus will turn to raising the remainder of the running costs which will come from private sector and philanthropic donations. It will join the OnSide network of 14 similar Youth Zones supporting over 50,000 young people with locations in Bolton, Blackburn, Carlisle, Wigan, Manchester, Oldham, Wolverhampton, Wirral, Chorley, Warrington, Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Croydon and East Manchester. While OnSide will develop and oversee the build of the Youth Zone, once open it will be run as an independent, local charity with a private-sector-led board. Guy Topping, Preston Youth Zone Chair said: “This is an important milestone in the Preston Youth Zone journey and exciting news for young people living in Preston and beyond. Preston Youth Zone is a local, inspirational charity that will provide thousands of young people with access to activities, opportunities, and support from trusted youth workers. So much hard work has gone into getting us to this point and I want to thank everybody who has helped make this dream a reality.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Net Zero Panels – launching as part of the Premier Modular Group – is driven to minimise construction’s embodied carbon through panelised solutions. Joining the Premier Group alongside Net Zero Buildings (NZB) – which focuses on delivering buildings that are net zero in operation – Net Zero Panels enables a holistic approach to sustainability, helping clients to ensure compliance, reduce embodied carbon. Net Zero Panels will support several sectors – particularly education – as it continues to help clients gain traction towards optimal use of offsite components via a ‘kit-of-parts’. What is panelised construction? Panelised construction can be either structural – a whole building comprising of internal and external load-bearing walls, floor cassettes and a number of structural roof options – or a wrap, where external walls and a roof ‘wrap’ around a concrete or steel-framed building. To meet growing demand for panelised solutions, Premier Modular Group, the market leader in offsite construction – for capacity and capability – has launched a new division: Net Zero Panels (NZP). “NZP is designed to strike a balance between compliance and carbon reduction,” explains Dan Allison, director, NZP. “Compliance is at the heart of the approach, and we ensure extensive acoustic and structural fire testing is built into every system – along with carbon assessments – so we’re best placed to advise on the best materials for your project and their embodied carbon impact. “Using a Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) approach, with NZP, buildings can be configured from a pre-defined kit-of-parts – offering the simplicity of structured panels with all the advantages of flat-packed, volumetric building.” Designing for purpose “NZP is an integrator and distributor, which innovated X-Guard panels,” says David Harris, managing director, Premier Modular Group. “X-Guard panels are made of either timber or light-gauge steel structural elements, but we also use other materials in our kit of parts, such as glulam, hot rolled steel, modified gypsum fibreboard and precast concrete. It’s a question of what’s fit for purpose for your individual building, and it can be provided in one package. “The business has taken off so well that it’s worthy of its own division as an integral part of our group. NZP has all the agility of a start-up with all the financial stability, capacity and ESG credentials you’d expect from a long-established company.” The Department for Education and other public procurement frameworks help schools prioritise the use modern methods of construction for new buildings, which is increasing their prevalence. NZP is taking advantage of this and has already delivered the kit of parts for DfE’s first carbon pathfinder scheme at Treetops Free School in Grays in Essex. Treetops Free School – the UK’s first net zero carbon pathfinder The DfE commissioned the 3,293m2 extension to Treetops School as the government’s first zero carbon pathfinder project, which completed in August 2022. Zero carbon pathfinder projects follow a ten-point plan to achieve net zero carbon in operational energy and dramatically reduce embodied energy in their construction. NZP delivered the structural solution for Treetops, which provides full-time education and therapeutic behavioural support for 3-16 year-old pupils with special educational needs (SEN). Treetops’ building solution comprised of a hybrid, structural timber panel system with a highly insulated envelope. The NZP ‘kit-of-parts’ system included floors, external and internal walls, the primary frame for the Hall and the panelised roof solution to the entire building. “This was all made possible by our design, engineering, production, manufacturing and installation capabilities, as well as the transparent ways we collaborate with the school, main contractor and our supply chain,” says Dan Allison. “Treetops shows how green the schools of the future will be because of its net zero considerations, and it can be reconfigured as needs change.” Lawrence Sheriff School in Rugby, Warwickshire – less school more panels A long-established school – Lawrence Sheriff in Rugby, Warwickshire – needed a new facility to expand teaching capacity. It required new science classrooms and a studio, as well as a modern dining room. Completed in December 2021, the 346m2 extension needed to complement and integrate seamlessly with the heritage building and adhere to best practice in net zero construction. In this project, the main contractor built a primary hot-rolled steel frame, and NZP wrapped the structure with its highly insulated timber panel system. NZP provided a structural, closed-panel system with a factory-fitted drylined service zone and clad with cedar and airtight brick facades onsite. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading UK and Ireland offsite manufacturer McAvoy has been awarded a £37.5m project by the Department for Education (DfE) to deliver the new Orsett Heath Academy, part of the South West Essex Community Education Trust (SWECET) in Thurrock, Essex. Commissioned by the Secretary of State for Education, McAvoy has embarked on the construction of a new 8,610sqm secondary school. With construction underway, the school will have the capacity for up to 1,200 pupils aged 11-16 in its 3-storey accommodation. The new secondary school will showcase innovative internal design features including a double-height dining area, spaces for students to collaborate and share ideas, and a performing arts hub. Externally, the brief includes extensive hard and soft landscaping, parking areas for cars and bicycles, outside lockers, playing fields and the installation of a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA). Works started on site in May with the school due to be completed in Summer 2024. The project has been described as a “very exciting” development for children and families in Thurrock and will replace the temporary accommodation where students are currently learning with a brand new, state-of-the-art secondary school. Positioned in close proximity to the Thurrock Rugby Club and Thurrock Harriers Athletics Track, the academy is poised to strengthen its existing partnerships and will support the development of a thriving sports hub in Thurrock. The prime location will foster development pathways for pupils and the wider community at all levels. McAvoy has been at the forefront of the UK and Ireland’s offsite industry for more than 50 years, with significant experience in the education sector. It has recently delivered projects including Merstham Park School, a pioneering ‘Low Carbon Pathfinder’ project, and The Cavendish School, the world’s first International Baccalaureate special free school for Department for Education, as well as 2 SEND classroom blocks at Great Oaks School for Southampton City Council. McAvoy CEO, Ron Clarke said the awarding of the Orsett Heath Academy project reflected the confidence in offsite manufacturing as a preferred solution within the education sector. “Our team has significant experience of delivering high-quality accommodation within the education sector to demanding programmes and we are delighted to be appointed for this major project by the Department for Education. We have invested heavily in our manufacturing and delivery infrastructure in recent years with a view to securing projects of this nature where sustainability, quality and delivery within budget and programme are essential.” The new building will provide a much-needed permanent building and cater for the growing demand for secondary school places at Orsett Heath Academy. The school has a specialism in sports, the arts and a strong international approach to languages, and will remain in joint use with the interim site for educational and sports provision, creating a lasting legacy, enhancing education, sport and recreation as a ‘Thurrock Institute of Sport.’ Steve Munday, CEO of SWECET, said: “Our community, students and families have eagerly awaited this state-of-the-art facility that will allow us to continue to provide an exciting and ambitious ethos of high expectations and achievement to more students in our local area. We’re so pleased that building work is underway and would like to thank all those who have supported us in our community during this time.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The new facility has been hailed by Dundee City Council as ‘the most important investment in the city’s future’ Jenny Gilruth MSP, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, yesterday witnessed construction work beginning on an integrated educational and community facility for the east end of Dundee. Pupils joined Ms Gilruth in making symbolic footprints in wet concrete to create a mark that will become a feature at the new £100m East End Community Campus. Designed by Holmes Miller for Dundee City Council, with Robertson Construction as the main contractor, the new facility will cater for around 1800 pupils from Braeview Academy and Craigie High School and their teachers, staff, and the wider community. Local residents, pupils, staff and community organisations were consulted extensively on the design of the campus. Their input led to various changes in the design, including how departments are arranged, and the inclusion of facilities that will ensure the building can be used 365 days a year. Offering an optimum environment for learning and attainment, the new 19,500m2 campus will include a variety of teaching and informal meeting spaces, a central learning plaza, presentation spaces and specialist Additional Support Needs (ASN) areas. The design also incorporates flexible spaces such as a ‘Hellerup’ staircase where pupils and staff can relax, socialise and collaborate. Facilities that the wider community can use will include a music and drama centre, café, library, floodlit all weather pitches, a fitness suite and a dance studio. The indoor accommodation will be arranged around a central courtyard that provides an outdoor civic space for community and school events, break out and relaxation. The community campus, which is due to open in time for the new academic year in August 2025, will be built to the international ‘Passivhaus’ sustainable energy use standard, using responsibly sourced materials. Joanne Hemmings, Associate at Holmes Miller, explained: “To achieve the rigorous Passivhaus standard, we have placed sustainability right at the heart of the design, which will ensure low energy consumption both during the construction phase and throughout the life of the building. “The campus will be a compact, highly insulated building with low energy hybrid ventilation, substantial solar panels and a heating system that’s powered by air source heat pumps. A new link to a sustainable cycle and pedestrian route, plus several cycle storage facilities, will encourage active travel to and from the campus. “We’ve really enjoyed collaborating with local partners on this project, which we know will help create positive outcomes for pupils, the environment and the wider community.” Dundee City Council’s children and families convener Councillor Stewart Hunter said: “The East End Campus will be more than a school, it will be a focus for the whole community and will be accessible and inclusive. This campus will help improve the future prospects of young people while assisting the community to thrive. “It is the most important investment in the city’s future and delivery of the campus will allow us to improve educational and community facilities to help tackle significant challenges of poverty. “This is a goldenopportunity to transform educational and community facilities and replace two outdated buildings with a campus fit for the years ahead. “The design of the campus has seen pupils playing an important role on the project board. The campus will provide an inspiring educational environment carefully designed to support learning developments in the longer term.” Elliot Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, Robertson Group, said: “As the first Passivhaus building in its portfolio, East End Community Campus illustrates Dundee City Council’s commitment to its communities, to education attainment and addressing climate change. “Having been a partner of choice for the Council for several years, we look forward to working with them to deliver this high-quality multi-use facility, that will cater for a centre for music and drama, sports facilities and city-wide education. This new school built to Passivhaus standard, will significantly cut emissions to the built environment, and delivers outstanding levels of energy efficiency, reducing ongoing annual operational energy costs. Throughout the build we will be working with local contractors and suppliers, wherever possible, and seeking to improve employability skills within the community through an on-site skills academy.” Design team: Holmes Miller, Atelier Ten, Sussed Sustainability, Goodson Associates, Sterry-Walters Partnership,Deanestor Main Contractor: Robertson Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Cardiff City Council has appointed Morgan Sindall Construction to carry out enabling works for the rebuild of Willows High School. The enabling works will cost £3.4 million and mark the first step in the existing school being relocated and rebuilt on land off Lewis Road, Splott. The new secondary school will offer sports facilities such as a sports hall, gym, drama studio and grass pitches which will be available for public use outside school hours. Morgan Sindall Construction will be responsible for completing a number of tasks necessary for the new build. They include, installation of new utilities and relocation of existing services, excavation and groundworks as well as the demolition of existing buildings located on Portmanmor Road and at the Splott Market site. Commenting on the latest developments, Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council, and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry, said: “The enabling works associated with this project are an integral part of the development and the awarding of this contract is an exciting milestone in establishing a brand new home for Willows High School. “When complete, the new school will provide exceptional facilities, expertise and teaching opportunities for students, staff and the community, representing a significant investment in the local area.” Reflecting of their involvement, Rob Williams, Area Director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “It’s a real privilege to be awarded the contract for the enabling works at Willows High School in the vibrant city of Cardiff, which will pave the way for a 900-place secondary school. “We’re very proud to play a role in the council’s investment in the next generation and the development plans for Willows High School will have a real impact on the education and future of young people in Splott and the surrounding area. “This school is a further example of our commitment to creating additional school places and improvements across Wales, ensuring children receive the best chance to reach their full potential through the environments in which they learn.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work is now underway on the much-needed 420-place new primary school in Cringleford near Norwich. A ground-breaking ceremony, which traditionally marks the beginning of construction for new building projects, was attended by: Norfolk County Council, which is funding and commissioning the new school; Inspiration Trust, which will be running it; and RG Carter which is building it. The new school is being built on land off Colney Lane on the edge of Norwich. It will be a second primary school for the growing village of Cringleford, which is due to see around 1,300 new homes built. Cllr Penny Carpenter, cabinet member for Children’s Services, said: “It’s really exciting to see work starting, it demonstrates the council’s commitment to making sure there are the right number of school places so children can go to school in their local communities.” Cllr David Bills, local member for the county council’s Humbleyard division, said: “I know local residents will be pleased to see that the project to make this new school a reality is underway, enabling more children in this growing community to go to school close to home.” Mario Rackham, Director and General Manager at R G Carter, said: “We are extremely pleased to have been appointed to deliver this much-needed school for the local community and to have hosted this celebration to mark the start of its construction. “We have extensive experience in providing high-quality educational facilities across the region and are looking forward to working in partnership with Inspiration Trust and Norfolk County Council Children’s Services to deliver this exciting new project in Cringleford.” Gareth Stevens, Chief Executive Officer of Inspiration Trust, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the opportunity to open a new free school in Cringleford and it was wonderful to see the building works underway. “We have a clear mission across all our schools – to provide the children of our county with the best possible education and being able to open this new free school in Cringleford will enable us to expand further on this, improving outcomes for even more children and setting them up to succeed in the next stage of their education.” The new school will be two storeys with car parking for staff and visitors, including electric charging spaces, and external hard and soft surfaced outdoor play areas. Its design and layout has been carefully done to reduce net carbon in the operational energy demands of the school and respects the local area and new housing. The new building would have solar panels, passive stack natural ventilation, air source heat pumps and an all-electric kitchen. The school is due to open in September next year. It is one of a proposed 26 new schools proposed for the county within the next 10 years as part of Norfolk County Council’s £308 million Local Growth and Investment Plan to ensure sufficient places in areas of major planned housing growth. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
