More than 8,100 pupils will benefit from the construction programme, as pupils at each school will be taught in new, purpose-built buildings. The seven schools across Bradford, Kirklees and North Yorkshire have an estimated capital value of c£100m - £150m.
Mike Lewis, Business Unit Leader of Crown House Technologies, said:
“Laing O’Rourke are extremely pleased to be selected as the EFA’s preferred bidder for the Yorkshire Priority School Building Programme. Crown House Technologies already have an excellent track record of delivering high quality innovative MEP solutions in Yorkshire, with us recently handing over 8 Secondary Schools as part of the Barnsley BSF Programme. The Priority Schools in Yorkshire will ensure that our expertise and capability is maintained over the coming months and years in what is one of our key market sectors.”
Laing O’Rourke’s Explore Investments will raise the finance for the schools’ through the government’s PF2 private finance model. Designing the schools in collaboration with architectural and engineering consultants Atkins, Laing O’Rourke will also self-deliver the majority of the construction through its construction and specialist businesses, and will provide maintenance and lifecycle services over a 25 year period.
The secondary schools included in the Yorkshire programme are:
- The Samuel Lister Academy, Bradford
- Oakbank, Bradford
- Carlton Bolling, Bradford
- Belle Vue Boys School, Bradford
- Whitcliffe Mount, Kirklees
- All Saints Catholic College, Kirklees
- Harrogate High School, North Yorkshire
Crown House will apply its digital engineering expertise and offsite Design for Manufacture and Assembly approach to deliver the schools quickly and with minimal disruption to the locality, while also guaranteeing high standards of energy efficiency. MEP DfMA products that will be incorporated into the new schools include multi-service vertical risers, horizontal service distribution modules, prefabricated boiler houses, modular wiring and lighting rafts in the classrooms.
Financial close is expected in summer 2015. Construction is due to start in summer 2015 with three planned completions due in August 2016 and four in August 2017.