Construction Projects in Education

With schools currently deciding how they can reopen, a new batch of construction projects is waiting to begin once the industry is able to get back to normal.

Two of the UK’s top construction organisations, Morgan Sindall and Galliford Try, have secured more than £100 million-worth of education projects in the last few weeks.

Morgan Sindall has won a £29 million scheme to construct a 1,530-place school in Glebe Meadows, Aylesbury, for Milton Keynes Borough Council, as well as a £10 million Community College project in Hailsham for the Hailsham Academy Trust.

Galliford Try has a £38 million contract lined up to build a new education campus in Hexham for the Hadrian Learning Trust on behalf of Northumberland County Council. Bill Hocking, Chief Executive for Galliford Try, said: “We continue to make good progress in our key sectors and these excellent contact wins in the higher education and schools’ sectors are further demonstration of the quality of our offering.”

However, these are not the only education contracts let recently. Others include the £13.5 million Addington Valley scheme in Croydon, for which Keir has secured the contract.

Research from Glenigan also shows there is a strong pipeline of work moving through the procurement process, despite the limitations currently imposed on on-site work due to the Coronavirus pandemic, with a significant number of projects at the tender stage according to research.

Schemes at this stage of procurement include the £9 million sports complex at Sherborne School, Dorset, where bids have been received, as well as a £2.5 million new music department at Queen Elizabeth’s School in Barnet, which is also at the same stage.

Both these schemes should start later in 2020, depending on the progress of the virus. In Q1 of 2020, £1.1 billion worth of education projects have secured detailed planning permissions. This is a total rise of 50% on the first quarter of last year, and up 21% on the final three months of 2019.

Many smaller projects have recently secured planning permission, but are yet to go to tender. Examples include a £1.2 million extension to Castledon School in Wickford, Essex and the £1.5 million addition to Broomwood Hall School in Lambeth, South London.

This piece originally was published by Glenigan

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