The £120m project involves the financing, design and construction of seven secondary schools in West and North Yorkshire: Beckfoot Upper Heaton, Samuel Lister Academy, Carlton Bolling College and Oakbank schools in the Bradford Area; All Saints Catholic College and Whitcliffe Mount schools in the Kirklees area; and Harrogate High School.
Reaching financial close had been delayed due to a late application to award listed building status to part of Oakbank School in Keighley that was due to be demolished (pictured below).
The overall project is being financed under the PF2 model by a consortium of lenders secured through Yorkshire Learning Partnership, a special purpose vehicle formed by Laing O’Rourke Group, Equitix and IUK Investments Ltd.
Yorkshire Learning Partnership has appointed Laing O’Rourke Construction to design and build the schools, and to provide facilities management services.
Lain O’Rourle said that the effect of the delay in reaching financial close had been “largely mitigated” by its Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DfMA) offsite construction approach. “This has enabled works to progress as planned through the second wettest winter on record,” the company said. “This has allowed the parties to agree revised service availability dates which significantly reduce the impact of the delay on teaching and learning.”
The first three schools are now scheduled to move into the new buildings in the early part of 2017, a further three schools following in September 2017, with the final school becoming available in the spring of 2018.
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