Willmott Dixon has been chosen by Conwy County Borough Council for an £18 million project to redevelop Ysgol Y Gogarth special education needs school on its existing site in Craig y Don, Llandudno.

Willmott Dixon's work to provide a new home for the 170-pupil school will see the company create a facility with new library, IT spaces, therapy rooms, hydro-pool, sports hall and vocational teaching areas. The existing residential facilities will also be extensively refurbished to provide self contained flats with a new entrance offering a clear division between school and home. The final phase will include improved vehicle access and parking, new grassed and multi-use sports pitches together with new habitat and recreation areas.


The development will provide an opportunity to coordinate and co-locate support for children and families, and create a 'Team around the Family'. The scheme will build upon the existing facilities at Ysgol y Gogarth's Child Development Centre. The cost of the scheme is made up from grant funding provided by Welsh Government and funding from Conwy County Borough Council. Cllr Mike Priestley, Cabinet Member for Property said, "We're looking forward to working closely with Willmott Dixon to make this project a reality."

Anthony Dillon, managing director for Willmott Dixon in the region, said: "We'll be making sure that local business are used as much as possible under our Local Pound strategy that ensures local people benefit from this substantial investment by Conwy County Borough Council. We have built special needs schools across the country and will be applying all that experience here to deliver a superb new school for the region that provides very specialised learning."

Work starts on site in July and will take place in phases over two years, with Willmott Dixon working with Atkins as architect.

(CD/GK)