Construction UK Construction Directory
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Share this page
Construction News
05/11/2024

Morgan Sindall Commences Work On Fordway Centre Expansion

Construction News Image
Construction company Morgan Sindall is currently expanding the Fordway Centre short stay school in Stanwell, Surrey, by building a new £5 million two-storey facility. 

Morgan Sindall's Southern Home Counties business was appointed by Surrey County Council to deliver the alternative provision (AP) centre, which was procured via the Southern Construction Framework.

The former building on the site has been demolished and construction work is underway. When completed in Spring 2025, ready for the start of the Easter term, the school's new building will have four classrooms and a dedicated reception, allowing the Fordway Centre to accommodate 24 pupils. 

Guy Hannell, Morgan Sindall Construction's Southern Home Counties Area Director, said: "As a business that's rooted in the area and its local communities, we understand how important projects such as this are to the families and young people of Surrey.

"This makes it a real privilege to be working with Surrey County Council, who are rolling out an incredible modernisation programme for AP and SEN facilities to tackle the rising demand for this type of specialised education."

The building will include group rooms and calm spaces as well as an activity room, staff space and a holistic kitchen which will double up as a community area, where pupils can socialise and learn to make food.

Externally, a playground and multi-use games area will also be created.

Fordway, part of the Inclusive Education Trust, caters for pupils aged 6-11 years who are finding it difficult to manage well in a mainstream setting.

It aims to support and work with pupils' individual needs and improve behaviours for learning with the intention of returning them to a mainstream setting, where appropriate.

In collaboration with architects Holmes Miller, the multi-use nature of the rooms being constructed will provide the school's teaching and support staff with a lot of versatility, enabling them to tailor the spaces to best suit the pupil's needs.

Rumyana Odazhieva, Architect at Holmes Miller, said: "It's been incredibly rewarding to design this sustainable and unique project that directly benefits local pupils with diverse needs.

-- Advertisement --
hss

"For many young people, adapting to new learning environments can be challenging, therefore Fordway's outstanding work to support students with specific learning requirements is crucial in preparing them for future success.

"The facility is an ideal blend of versatility and people-centred design. Its thoughtful creation promotes an inclusive and calming environment where pupils have the space to learn at their own pace within a busy urban setting. We're confident it will be a space where everyone can thrive."

Sustainability has been a key aspect of the development, with the site designed to be net zero carbon in operation. The tier one contractor's team has implemented a range of sustainable innovations to achieve this, including the use of a Streif closed panel structural timber building system, which provides high energy efficiency levels.

To further minimise the project's environmental impact, Morgan Sindall successfully managed to reduce the new buildings carbon footprint by 23.2 tonnes of CO2.

Central to these significant emissions savings was reducing the size of the concrete foundation and slab.

This was possible thanks to additional ground investigations, which identified better than anticipated soil properties.

In addition, concrete produced using ground granulated blast furnace slag instead of Ordinary Portland Cement was chosen, which significantly reduces the concrete's carbon emissions.

Councillor Natalie Bramhall, Surrey County Council Cabinet member for Property, Infrastructure and Waste, said: "We are delighted to be working with Morgan Sindall on the delivery of the Fordway Centre. Through the creation of a sustainable site, Morgan Sindall supports our commitment to Surrey's Greener Future and net zero ambitions.

"Furthermore, the construction of the Fordway Centre drives our ambition to increase the number of specialist school places in Surrey, providing local children with the best opportunities for improved outcomes."

As part of Morgan Sindall's commitment to maximising the social value generated through its projects, the local community will have opportunities to train and gain new skills throughout the construction activity.

This includes work experience placements and programmes to provide jobs to help local residents return to the workplace. 

Morgan Sindall's Southern Home Counties business has previously worked alongside Surrey County Council to create additional SEN pupil places in the county.

This includes Freemantles School, which opened a new facility last year which will allow the school to continue an expansion to 270 places, with two forms of entry for students aged 4-19 years old.

The new building links to the pre-existing school and has replaced three temporary classroom blocks with specialist classrooms including a creative arts room, food technology kitchens as well as a sports hall.

The contractor's experience in the delivery of AP and SEN sectors also recently saw it deliver the Summerdown SEN school in Eastbourne.

Procured through the Department for Education framework, the new school includes a host of bespoke and specialist equipment, including a hydrotherapy pool, sensory rooms, food technology and state-of-the-art science laboratories as well as landscaped gardens to provide an enriching outdoor environment.

The school has created 135 much-needed local school places for children aged 5-16 with autism spectrum disorder, complex learning needs and medical difficulties.

"Through our previous work on similar developments, such as Eastbourne's Summerdown School and Freemantles School in Woking, we're able to bring a lot of expertise to the project and understand what it takes to create specialised educational environments tailored to the needs of SEN pupils or pupils with additional learning requirements," added Mr Hannell.

Latest Construction News

05/11/2024

A hybrid planning application has been submitted to transform a 1970s shopping centre in Lewisham, southeast London, into a vibrant new town centre district, complete with housing, hospitality and green spaces. LandsecU+I, which is real estate investment trust company Landsec's regeneration arm, ...
05/11/2024

Ten net-zero carbon homes will be developed in Middlesbrough by Esh Construction. Acting on behalf of Thirteen Group, Esh will ensure the properties are energy efficient and future-proofed for residents. Part of an £18 million development known as Kedward Avenue – one of three sites Esh is ...
05/11/2024

Construction work is set to begin on a new Net Zero leisure and wellbeing centre in Newport. The site was officially handed over to Welsh company Wynne Construction, whose representatives met with senior Newport City Council politicians and officers ahead of work commencing. The facility will be ...
05/11/2024

A £54 million public-private partnership which will aim to deliver 3,000 low-carbon, low-energy affordable homes across England has been announced. The joint-venture, Habiko, was formed by Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC), a major investor in UK housing and infrastructure, nationwide place ...
05/11/2024

The latest instalment of refurbishment works on the historic Menai Suspension Bridge, ahead of the crossing's bicentenary, has been completed. The Grade I structure, which was formed in 1826, is a crucial road link between mainland Wales and the Isle of Anglesey and is the second oldest suspension ...
05/11/2024

Construction company Morgan Sindall is currently expanding the Fordway Centre short stay school in Stanwell, Surrey, by building a new £5 million two-storey facility.  Morgan Sindall's Southern Home Counties business was appointed by Surrey County Council to deliver the alternative provision (AP) ...
05/11/2024

Work to develop 49 family homes in Gateshead has commenced on the site of the former Hookergate School at High Spen. All of these houses will be available for open market sale. This signals the start of the second of two new housing schemes being built by the Gateshead Regeneration Partnership ...
05/11/2024

Construction company The Hill Group will deliver 24 of their low-cost modular DuoHaus homes in West Hanningfield near Chelmsford to provide accommodation for homeless people. The purpose-built, self-contained homes set to be installed will replace an obsolete motel and will be run by CHESS ...
05/11/2024

Clowes Developments has announced plans for extensive investment in their new business park site in Hucknall, Nottingham. Construction company TanRo has been confirmed as the main contractor for the Clowes Developments' Harrier Park project. Clowes Developments completed ground remediation ...
05/11/2024

Loughton-based construction company, Higgins Group, has launched the latest round of its Management Trainee Programme aimed at school leavers eager to start a career in the industry. The programme offers trainees a degree apprenticeship in Construction Management once completed, while providing ...
T & D Glazing And Installation LimitedAqua Direct LtdEfco UK LtdBRICOFLOR UKThink Construction Skills Ltd.Lakeside HireStuart CanvasNo Hydro123v PlcForge Lifts Ltd
Terms and Conditions
2024/11/05 21:14:41