Northern Ireland contractor GRAHAM has secured a major education project in Milton Keynes, England.

The firm has been appointed to deliver a £40 million secondary school, creating 1,800 new school places for 11-16 year olds.

The new Watling Academy will also serve the Western Expansion Area (WEA), which covers 350 hectares west of Watling Street, between Stony Stratford, Kiln Farm, Two Mile Ash, Crownhill and Grange Farm.

GRAHAM will build a three-storey main building with an adjacent sports hall and carry out external works to create new car and cycle parking facilities for staff and visitors, sports pitches and playing fields. BIM will be utilised to manage the design and construction programme of the 10.88-hectare site.

-- Advertisement --

The contract was procured through the LGSS framework, the shared services venture set up in 2010 by Cambridgeshire County Council and Northamptonshire County Council.

Rob Joyce, GRAHAM's London office director, commented: "This new secondary school will be an important education centre for the Western Expansion Area of Milton Keynes, supporting its future development and attracting more families to the area. We will use the knowledge and experience we've gained from our extensive education portfolio to deliver an outstanding new facility for the local community."

The works will be carried out over an 86-week construction programme, with completion expected in late 2020.

(CM/MH)