£37m investment in buildings
THE procurement process for two new schools in Hexham, which are hoped to open in September 2021, could start in two weeks’ time.
Northumberland County Council has unveiled a £37.1m investment, which would see new school buildings for Queen Elizabeth High School and Hexham Middle School created on the current high school site.
Despite being academies, run by the Hadrian Learning Trust, the local authority will be providing the majority of the funding (around £23m), in line with a commitment made during the process which saw major changes to the educational structures in the west of the county last year.
Some of the money is also coming from the Department for Education, following a successful bid to the national Priority School Building Programme, although this is ringfenced for the Grade II*-listed hydrotherapy building and must be fully spent by March 2021.
The outline business case for the replacement schools was discussed at Monday’s meeting of the family and children’s services committee, with the project set to be approved by the cabinet the next day.
The funding would be signed off by the full council as part of the budget proposals next week.
At the meeting, the council’s head of school organisation and resources, Sue Aviston, explained that a ‘competitive dialogue process’ will see the authority go to the market with a construction budget of £36.1m and the knowledge that the proposals can be delivered, and ask contractors what added value they can bring to the project.
A number of options were explored as part of the business case, ‘to ensure the most cost-effective model while maintaining each school’s own age range and distinctiveness,’ but the co-location on the current high-school site was deemed to be the best.
Nonetheless, the report to councillors explains that ‘there have been many challenges in developing a design for the new schools that takes into account the site constraints, the topographical challenge and a Grade II*-listed building.’
Coun Wayne Daley, cabinet member for children’s services, said that it would ‘absolutely be a school which will deliver for the community,’ adding that the proposals are very business case-driven with the school facing a repairs backlog of £15m.
Hexham Central with Acomb member, Coun Trevor Cessford, said: “Quite obviously, this has been a long time coming.
“How they have got the results they have with the state of the buildings is just miraculous.
“I’m really pleased to see that the provision of sports facilities is part of this.
“I agree that option one (with the two schools on one site) is the best one.”
The cabinet is also being recommended to approve the development of an outline business case for new school buildings in the Seaton Valley Federation of schools, following the recent announcement of £21m of investment.