New school to cost extra £900,000

THE cost of a proposed new primary school at Warrington has soared by £900,000 because of the need for extra teaching spaces to meet increased demand.
Total cost of the school to serve the Chapelford Urban Village development and replace Sycamore Lane Primary is now expected to be £4.9 million.
Members of the borough council’s executive board will be asked next week to approve a tender from a shortlist of five contractors.
A plan to replace poor quality accommodation at Sycamore Lane Primary by relocating the school to a new building at Chapelford was included in a review of all the borough’s primary schools in 2008-2009.
Details have been worked out over the last 12 months and the cost was originally estimated at £4 million.
But this has now been increased to £4.9 million because of additional demand for places at the new school.
Cllr Colin Froggatt, (pictured) executive member for children and young people’s services, says in a report that the increased scope of the project may mean the opening of the new school may be delayed to April 2013. However, every effort will be made to complete the contract so that the opening is as close as possible to the original date of October next year.
The project will be funded by Government grant of £2 million, borrowing of £2 million and a Children and Young People’s Services grant of £900,000.
Extensive consultation has taken place with the school, parents, members of the public, local councillors and Chapelford developer David Wilson Homes to ensure the project measures up to their wish for a modern school with state-of-the-art facilities.

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