Morgan Sindall/Equitix JV wins £120m Schools Contract

The Education Funding Agency has named a Morgan Sindall Investments and Equitix joint venture as provisional preferred bidder for a £120m contract to construct 12 schools in North West England.

The works will provide new, purpose-built buildings for five secondary schools and seven primary schools, with space for 8,150 pupils as well as an additional 124 nursery places.

Morgan Sindall will be responsible for the design and construction of the schools followed by the provision of maintenance and lifecycle services over the next 25 years.

The projects are the third privately-financed batch of Priority School Building Programme schools, following earlier awards to a Kajima/Interserve joint venture in the £150m Hertfordshire, Luton, Reading batch and Miller Construction on the £120m north-east batch.

Construction works are expected to begin March 2015 with all completions scheduled for September 2017.

The appointment is subject to the usual standstill period.

Secondary schools

• Blacon High School, Blacon
• The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College, Wigan
• Neston High School, Neston
• Ridgeway High School, Prenton
• South Shore Academy, Blackpool

Primary schools

• Bedford Drive Primary School, Birkenhead
• Bridge Hall Primary School, Stockport
• Dee Point Primary School, Blacon
• Halebank Primary School, Halebank, Halton
• Hawes Side Primary School, Blackpool
• JH Godwin Primary School, Blacon
• Plymouth Grove Primary School, Manchester