Property firm on £4.4bn school building framework
A joint venture including Greater Manchester-based integrated property firm Styles&Wood has been appointed to the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s £4.4bn national framework to support the delivery of its school building programmes.
The Sale company is part of a partnership branded Spatial Initiative with modular construction specialist Extraspace Solutions.
Spatial Initiative has been awarded places across eight out of 22 regional lots and joins 32 other contractors that were also selected. The framework will operate for up to four years and commenced on November 27, 2017.
This follows Spatial Initiative’s appointment as the primary contractor on Lot 1 of the ESFA Modular Primary Block Framework earlier in 2017.
The prograamme, which will use modular construction to replace buildings at primary schools across the country, commenced in July 2017 with a pilot scheme of 16 schools and an overall value of £95m. Spatial Initiative has secured the first four projects to be allocated under the framework.
The JV will design and manufacture block replacements, including full schools, using its component design solution. The JV has established strategic partnerships with AHR Architects and S I Sealy Building Services Engineering Consultancy, which will provide expert design services, and Southerns Interiors who will provide furniture, fixtures and equipment solutions.
The rebuild is part of the Government’s £4.4bn Priority School Building Programme, which is rebuilding or refurbishing those school buildings in the very worst condition across the UK. The first four schools, located across the South East, London and Midlands, will be delivered between April and December, 2018.
Styles&Wood chief executive Tony Lenehan said: “We are committed to continuing to diversify into areas where our skills sets are relevant and are delighted to have secured a place on the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s school building framework with our JV partner.
“The significant growth prospects presented by off-site system build, in particular in the education sector, represent an excellent opportunity for Styles&Wood.
“The JV provides a clear point of difference in the market by combining Extraspace’s expertise in off-site manufacturing and Styles&Wood’s fit-out specialisms to provide clients with an efficient model for single-source supply for their modular based programmes.”
Paul Tierney, managing director at Extraspace Solutions, said: “We have formed this new venture with Styles&Wood for all future ESFA frameworks. We see Styles&Wood as the perfect JV partner for us, where both companies’ expertise combine to provide best in class solutions.”
