Work starts on £3.1m school expansion

Building work to expand Mellers Primary School in Radford has started following the appointment of Wates Construction to build Nottingham City Council’s £3.1m extension.

The project marks Wates’ sixth appointment by the council via the East Midlands Property Alliance (empa) in the two years since the contractor was appointed to the framework.

Located on Norton Street, the new building will be constructed alongside the existing school and will include a two-storey development, complete with eight new classrooms and a main school hall.

Designed by architects, Atkins, the new building will span 1,233 sq m and is scheduled to complete in May 2017. Following the completion of the project, Wates will also renovate parts of the existing school building, which will include the refurbishment of the office and community areas.

The development at Mellers Primary will create approximately 240 new school places for Nottingham, complementing the increase in school provision across the Midlands this summer, which saw empa’s construction partners generate 5,250 new pupil places.

John Carlin, business unit director of Wates Construction Midlands, said: “Nottingham City Council is fulfilling its responsibility to accommodate the city’s growing need for increased school places, and as an experienced and responsive contractor, we are equipped to work in partnership with the council in expanding their space to feed the demand.

“Procuring projects via empa gives contractors a vital opportunity to develop closer ties with public sector bodies and enhance build efficiency across all projects. Wates has a dedicated presence on the framework and our appointment to Mellers Primary will enable us to further build upon this relationship.”

Amanda Dawson, headteacher at Mellers Primary School, said: “At Mellers Primary School we’re incredibly excited about this new phase in our development. The building work started promptly over the summer, and our children have been enthralled to watch each stage of the build, and we can’t wait to be able to visit the site to get a sense of what our expanded school will look like.”