Education sector pipeline boosts summer workload at construction company
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire construction firm, Hobson & Porter carried out more than £4m worth of refurbishment works in the education and care sector, while schools and colleges were closed over summer.
The works included four Special Educational Needs (SEN) projects, which have seen a property in the East Riding of Yorkshire, converted into a SEN children’s home, with a bedroom and office for staff for East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
Another project to deliver a new SEN suite including an office, intervention rooms, a new staff room and external works was completed at Clifton Green for City of York Council.
At Applefields School, which is a secondary school for children with a wide range of special educational needs, the team refurbished seven classrooms alongside installing assistive hoists, two sets of toilets and a new meeting room.
Hobson & Porter also re-covered several flat roofs and carried out a full commercial kitchen refurbishment and alterations to the main hall at Yearsley Primary School. Both projects were also for City of York Council.
For Hull City Council, the business converted and extended an existing bungalow on Salthouse Road in Hull, to meet the needs of disabled children in care.
At Grimsby Institute, the main provider of technical and professional training in the region providing full and part-time provision from children aged 14 years onwards, the company carried out a major refurbishment project in five months.
Sam Robertson, from Hobson & Porter, said: “This was a comprehensive refurbishment across part of Grimsby Institute’s estate, focusing on modernisation, sustainability, accessibility, and improving the user experience to enhance the learning environment and campus facilities.
“Integrated plumbing system toilet units, flooring, tiling, suspended ceilings, partitioning, full mechanical, plumbing and electrical upgrades and decorating all took place, with the whole project taking a whopping 16,000 plus man hours.
“Between 25 to 30 team members were on site daily in order to complete the project in the necessary timescale.”
In addition to the refurbishment projects, Hobson & Porter is carrying out several new build projects in the education sector, and has started work to build two new primary schools in North East Lincolnshire which will open in September 2025.
Waltham Gateway Academy and Scartho Gateway Academy will have 210-pupil places, including specialist provision for 12 students with special educational needs and disabilities.
The firm has completed work on a new £7m school in Northallerton – Oakbridge Church of England Primary School in Alverton Road.