Vale of Glamorgan Council has made a deal with Morgan Sindall to continue work on a school in Penarth that has been stalled since the collapse of ISG
Morgan Sindall Cardiff is already establishing a work plan before continuing the work left by ISG.
The contract is worth £22m, more than the original contract with ISG, valued at £2m.
Morgan Sindall take over with their environmental goals in mind
The school, named Ysgol Llyn Derw (Oak Lake School) by students, is designed with solar panels coupled with a hybrid power generator. The equipment will be built with energy-efficient materials to further contribute to the school’s carbon neutrality.
Ysgol Llyn Derw will also feature the use of natural light and ventilation as much as possible, green roofs, and other aspects designed to enhance biodiversity and promote environmental friendliness.
The project will see a two-storey building constructed that will integrate with existing school buildings. The exterior space will provide study spaces, teaching spaces, and recreational areas.
Demand for SEND schools rising
Ysgol Llyn Derw is a SEND (special educational needs and disability) school that will accommodate 150 students with additional learning needs. It will be a second site to Ysgol Y Deri, Britain’s largest SEND school, which featured in the BBC documentary series A Special School.
Rob Williams, area director of Morgan Sindall Construction in Wales, said: “It’s a real pleasure to be working on Ysgol Llyn Derw such an important facility for the area. We can all see the demand for SEND schools rising, so it means a lot for the whole team to work on this specialised learning facility, supporting families and helping the next generation achieve their full potential.
“In collaboration with Vale of Glamorgan Council and Morgan Sindall, this project is set to create an environment that will inspire pupils and provide the support that they need.”
Councillor Lis Burnett, Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: “Ysgol Llyn Derw will provide a much-needed tailor-made environment for pupils that need specialist attention and build on the fantastic work carried out at Ysgol Y Deri’s main site. Examples of just what a difference this can make to the lives of children was there for all to see in the BBC Documentary: A Special School.
“As well as helping pupils, we also want our schools to benefit the environment. That is in line with the Climate Emergency declared by the Council and our Project Zero commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030.
“Ysgol Llyn Derw has a host of impressive features that make it clean and green, alongside extensive provision for animal and plant life.
“We’re delighted that Morgan-Sindall has agreed to take on this project and look forward to working with them on its delivery.”
The ISG collapse left the school unfinished
Before Morgan Sindall resumed work on the £22m Cardiff school, ISG started work on Ysgol Llyn Derw, just months before the company fell into administration in September.
The company’s collapse saw thousands of workers lose their jobs—ISG was the sixth biggest UK construction firm, with over 2,000 employees—and stall many projects for which they were awarded contracts.
The collapse also had, and continues to have, a number of knock-on effects on other contractors.
Barbour ABI has attributed the collapse of ISG to a mixture of challenging market conditions, such as a 52% rise in material costs since Brexit, low-profit margins, and a decline in successful bids (from 25% success to 15% since 2021).
At the time of the collapse, ISG’s active and pending projects, which focused on projects in the infrastructure and industrial sectors, were estimated to be over £4bn in value.
Barbour ABI further estimated that the delay in ISG prison projects could have a serious detrimental effect on the country with the prison crisis and may require government intervention.
According to government figures, the prison population has doubled in the last 30 years, but not enough prisons have been built to accommodate for this. This has led to firms coming up with creative ways to boost prison construction, as well as calls upon the government for ways to increase infrastructure production, such as leveraging private investment.
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