A contractor has been selected to build the new primary and secondary schools in Holywell which will be co-located on the site of the existing High School.
Miller Construction will build the flagship £30 million development on land at the top of the existing school field. Building work is scheduled to start in January 2015.
One new primary school will replace Ysgol Perth y Terfyn Infants and Ysgol y Fron Junior school and will cater for learners up to the age of 11. This will be on the same site as the new facility for Holywell High school, which will be built to provide for the education of 11 to 16 year olds.
The new schools are due to be open from September 2016 with the existing facilities remaining in use until that time to ensure no disruption for learners.
The proposed new three storey secondary school will have 600 places and the single storey primary school will have 315 places. Primary children and secondary age students will be educated in the latest state of the art accommodation with all modern IT facilities to assist with learning.
The learning campus will have new access for vehicles from Pen-y-Maes Road together with new access points for pedestrians from Strand Park, Pen-y Maes Road and Strand Walk.
Replacement sports, play and recreation areas will be created across the site for the pupils and both schools will have indoor sports halls.
The building and surrounding spaces have been designed so that local community groups can use them outside school hours.
Councillor Chris Bithell, Flintshire County Council?s Cabinet Member for Education said:
“This is another milestone in the provision of this exciting new learning campus in Holywell. It will be a wonderful modern new facility for children, young people and the wider community. The contract is also the first to be let under the new North Wales Schools and Public Buildings Contractor Framework.
This new procurement process provides councils with a pre-qualified group of contractors so that they do not have to go through a lengthy and expensive tendering process, saving on time and costs. Not only are the contractors assigned in a fair way, they maximise benefits to the local community, sustain economic development and deliver environmentally sound buildings whilst creating jobs and apprenticeships.
Speaking on behalf of the head teachers of the three schools, Holywell High School’s John Weir said: “The children and community of Holywell deserve the best and that is what they will have when the new school buildings are complete. As we work to ensure the highest quality education for the children of Holywell, we know that their learning experience will be greatly enhanced by the investment in what will be a fantastic new facility for the community. The appointment of Miller Construction brings our 21st Century school buildings one step closer to reality.”
Ian Jubb, Managing Director, Miller Construction said: “We are delighted to have been selected to deliver the new learning campus. Miller has a long track record of delivering high quality and best value schools with lasting community benefits. We now look forward to working with all the participating stakeholders on the project and to building lasting relationships with these schools and the communities they will serve.?
You can see the full plans on the Council web site together with a virtual tour of the campus.
