Monmouthshire’s position as the home of the UK’s most modern schools is set to be re-enforced. Construction of three new schools is due to start soon and the replacement for a section of Chepstow’s Thornwell Primary School with a new 21st Century standard school building is set for completion ahead of schedule.
Following a rigorous selection process they have announced that Interserve has been selected as our partnering contractor in delivering the first phase of this exciting all schools programme.
They have submitted planning permission for a brand new 21st Century school in Raglan. This will be built on a separate site to the existing school and will offer the most up to date learning environment in the UK, as well as community facilities. The school is due to be completed in June 2015.
Meanwhile, consultation is about to start on the building of replacement secondary schools for Monmouth and Caldicot. The £80 million project will see new secondary schools for the two towns, with some additional upgrading work to nearby primary schools.
Plans for the new schools will be complete in July and ready for submission for planning approval in August. Construction is due to start in February 2015, with completion due at the end of 2016.
Cllr Liz Hacket Pain, Cabinet Member for Schools and Learning, said:
“This is brilliant news and builds on our solid track record of building the most modern schools in the UK. At one point in this we’ll be building three new schools at the same time. But I’m very confident in our ability to deliver on this very ambitious project.”
She continued:
”We’re spending a lot of money on delivering the best possible schools to Monmouthshire. But we want more. So we have specified that 75% of the project’s supply chain is kept local, ensuring that the county receives the maximum benefit from this huge expenditure.”
In further good news, the project to replace a significant section of Thornwell Primary School with a 21st Century Schools standard building will be completed ahead of schedule. The building’s fabric will be finished by the end of this term. It will then be furnished and equipped with cutting edge IT and pupils will move into the new building over the course of the summer term.
The council says they are remains committed to rebuild Chepstow School and King Henry VIII school in Abergavenny and preliminary work has already begun as part of the engagement process around modernising all of our schools. Plans will be drawn up once construction work begins in Monmouth and Caldicot.
