The Department of Education has appointed BAM to redevelop Fred Longworth High School in Tyldesley, Wigan, Greater Manchester as a net zero carbon school project
The £24m contract, to be handed over in September 2023, will increase the capacity of the net zero carbon school from 1,275 students to 1,350. The first phase of the project will create a three-storey teaching block. The second phase will see most of the existing school demolished and construction of new sports pitches, due for completion in spring 2024.
Fred Longworth is one of four Wigan schools earmarked for sustainable redevelopment under the DfE’s £1bn School Rebuilding Programme.
Building on the DfE’s drive for sustainable development
BAM will oversee architecture, monitoring and evaluation, sustainability, fixtures and fittings, while fire and acoustics will be handled by Hydrock, ICT delivered by Nexus and Dally Henderson Landscape will develop the grounds.
A major part of the works includes dealing with contamination in the ground and Japanese knotweed, and new services and drainage are required. Enabling works include diverting a main sewer running across the site and posing a critical constraint. Trees will also be protected.
Handling the challenges of working with a live site
BAM will develop carefully co-ordinate traffic access and logistics plans to overcome restricted access to the site and has already taken steps to reduce deliveries and thus carbon emissions by increasing on site storage solutions. The net zero carbon school will be partially constructed in part Hindsford Brook culvert.
Ian Fleming, regional director for BAM Construction in the north west, said:
“Our ability to create net zero schools and use modern techniques such as our suite of digital construction methods and off-site manufacture and assembly allows us to reduce risks to our people and speed up delivery for the school.
“I’m looking forward to seeing us make excellent progress and to working with our friends and partners at the school and drawing out benefits for the community around us.”
