Willmott Dixon wins £25m Newport school job

Newport City Council has picked Willmott Dixon to deliver significant improvements to Bassaleg Comprehensive School to create over 300 extra school places.Procured using the SEWSCAP3 framework by the council’s property partner Newport Norse, Willmott Dixon will build a three-storey teaching block, as well as 3G sports facilities, playing fields and associated external works.The teaching building is designed with an enhanced building envelope to maximise air tightness, alongside triple glazed windows. The roof will feature an array of solar panels, harnessing renewable energy.Bassaleg Comprehensive School is the latest scheme to be delivered with matched funding from the Welsh Government through its Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme.It also marks the latest milestone in Willmott Dixon’s sustainable schools building programme, Now or Never, where the builder has committed to ensuring all new building projects and major refurbishments will achieve net zero operational carbon by 2030.In Preston, Willmott Dixon is building the £21m Tarleton Academy, which will deliver a net zero carbon in operation learning environment for 750 pupils.Furthermore, in North Wiltshire, the firm is on site at Silverwood School’s Rowde campus, building a £29m net-zero carbon school to deliver a high-quality learning environment for 350 SEND pupils.