J Freeley demolition smashes through £1m barrier

MANCHESTER demolition firm J Freeley has secured £1m of school contracts in the past two years.

Its latest job involved the demolition the former Stamford Community High School in Ashton-under-Lyne for its client Inspiredspaces Tameside, a company set up to deliver the government’s Building Schools for the Future programme in the area.

The demolition was delayed for a year due to the discovery of a bat colony in one of the school blocks and because the site had been booked for the filming of episodes of TV comedy drama Shameless.

It was the firm’s sixth school project since spring 2012, following two others on Tameside, two at Connah’s Quay in Flintshire and one at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.

Managing director John Freeley said: “Education is a strong growth sector for the business and we are delighted to have successfully completed another major contract for a key client.”

The former Stamford Community High was used for a period as a campus for the New Charter Academy but had lain empty since September 2011. Part of the site is being sold for housing, while part will accommodate a new primary school.