Ashe Group has been awarded a £24m design and build contract to build a new primary school and community health hub for Milton Keynes Council. The works will take place just off junction 14 of the M1 as part of the Council’s MK East development. The scheme is in preparation for 5,000 new homes being built in the area.
Ashe has been employed to manage the complete design and build contract and has developed the scheme from feasibility over a 15-month period. The project has been procured through our Major Works Framework and is being funded by the government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund which is also providing funding for the construction of a new 32m wide bridge across the M1 and associated highways infrastructure to serve the development.
The MK East school project, located on the A509, is valued at around £14.5m, and will provide 39 nursery places and 630 primary places. The 3400sq m school will have 21 classrooms and two halls and will be of steel frame construction with brickwork and cladding. It will form the first part of an all-through school with plans for a future secondary school located approximately 250m across the road. Sports provision, which will be open for community use, will include two youth grass football pitches and a tarmac multi use games area.
The community health hub is valued at around £9.5m, and will provide a range of primary care, community health and other community-based services. The 1900sq m building will accommodate a community use hall, offices, meeting rooms and children’s centre. Both projects will have drop-off and car-parking facilities.
The development forms Milton Keynes’ largest new housing and employment area since 2007 and this latest contract is part of the Council’s plan to have infrastructure in place before residents move in. It is expected that the school will remain unoccupied for around 18 months prior to use. Along with the school and health hub, shops, play areas and a linear river valley park will also be provided in the masterplan.
Ben Jones, Head of Delivery for the South of England at Pagabo, said: “We were delighted to be at the ground breaking ceremony of this exciting scheme and we’d like to congratulate Ashe on their work to demonstrate value for money during the 2nd stage, in what has been a tricky climate. This is the 5th of 7 construction projects that Milton Keynes Council have used our frameworks to procure, and we hope this number continues to grow.”
Ian Robbins, Ashe Construction’s Managing Director, said: “We are very experienced in creating modern education and health facilities and this prestigious project will provide the focal point of a brand-new community. We are excited to be playing our part in delivering high quality facilities that will stand the test of time, for the families who will make the area their home for many years to come.”
Cllr Zoe Nolan, Cabinet Member for Children and Families at MK Council, said: “We’re excited to have taken the first major step in this process. The new school will be the first planned primary to be built in the area and we expect it to become an all-through school, providing 630 pupil places and 39 nursery places to an exciting new community. This means no stressful transitions for children as they remain there for both primary and secondary education. With an all-through school, the parents get to build a really strong relationship with the school over that period.”
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