Final phase of £160m programme in place
30th April, 2014
LAW firm Ward Hadaway has helped to deliver the final phase of a £160m school building programme.
Experts from Ward Hadaway’s award-winning public sector team provided legal advice to Telford & Wrekin Council on the completion of two further multi-million pound contracts for new school buildings with Shepherd Construction Limited.
The two contracts represent the last to be completed in the Council’s £160m Wave 4 Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme which will see a total of 10 schools refurbished or gain brand new facilities.
These will be among the last schools in the country to benefit from BSF funding after it was withdrawn by the coalition government in 2010.
Ward Hadaway has advised Telford & Wrekin Council on all 10 school developments in the BSF programme.
Under the latest contract, The Charlton School in Wellington, Telford will relocate to the site of the existing Blessed Robert Johnson Catholic College in a £14m development for pupils aged 11 to 16.
A 1200-place school building will be constructed and new playing fields made. The existing Blessed Robert Johnson sports hall will be retained on the site and will be refurbished.
Blessed Robert Johnson Catholic College will become part of a new multi-faith academy in Priorslee. This £15 million development will consist of a 750-place multi-faith secondary school, 150-place sixth form, a chapel, sports pitches and social space.
Construction on both sites is expected to start immediately with a view to delivering the new academy buildings in time for the start of term in September 2015 and the new Charlton School opening its doors in January 2016.
Ward Hadaway’s team advising Telford & Wrekin Council on the schemes was led by Head of Public Sector Property Karen Andrews, with Partner and Head of Public Sector Melanie Pears, Associates Kerry Adcock, Sara Acheson and Saji Bratch and Solicitors Jenny Wade and David Naughten.
Karen Andrews said: “We are delighted to have assisted Telford & Wrekin Council on these final projects in the Authority’s Building Schools for the Future programme.
“With The Charlton School moving to the existing Blessed Robert Johnson site, the developments are inextricably linked and we worked very closely with the Council to ensure that the practical and contractual solutions developed reflected the complex interests of all the parties involved.
“Along with the nine other projects in the programme, these schemes will make a real difference to the lives of thousands of students across Telford and surrounding areas for many years to come.
“It has been a real privilege to be involved with Telford & Wrekin Council on this important BSF programme, which is one of the very last to be undertaken in the UK.
“We have developed an excellent working relationship with our colleagues on the Authority over the last three years and we wish the Council and the staff and students at the new schools all the very best for the future.”
Jim Collins, Assistant Director for Education and Corporate Parenting at Telford & Wrekin Council said: “We are pleased to have signed the final contracts for the BSF programme.
“The new multi-faith academy in Priorslee and the new Charlton School building in Wellington will provide excellent modern facilities for over 2,000 pupils in the borough.
“Our Building Schools for the Future programme is ensuring that secondary aged pupils in Telford and Wrekin will be inspired and have the opportunity to achieve.
“We’re grateful to Ward Hadaway who provided outstanding support throughout and gave a very professional level of advice which helped to speed up the process.”
Earlier this year, the firm was named PFI Law Firm of the Year in England by respected publication Corporate International for the second year in a row.
Ward Hadaway won the same award in 2013 for its track record in advising on a string of successful and innovative Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects across the country.
Melanie Pears, Partner and Head of Public Sector at Ward Hadaway, said: “The Building Schools for the Future scheme has helped hundreds of new and refurbished schools to be built and we are proud to have played our part in that over the years, not just with Telford & Wrekin Council but also with our other local authority partners across the country.
“Our focus has always been to ensure that public sector organizations get the very best for the people who benefit from such projects and we will continue to do so as new models of public/private sector partnership projects are created and rolled out.”
Over recent years, Ward Hadaway’s public sector specialists have advised on £4bn of PFI/PPP projects.
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