It is Willmott Dixon’s third secondary school project in the city in the last two years, following Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School, which opened in September 2013, and Archbishop Beck Catholic Sports College, which opens this September.
Willmott Dixon is working on Archbishop Blanch Secondary School with architect Sheppard Robson to create a 10,500m2, three-storey school to replace Archbishop Blanch’s current building.
Procured through Scape, the facility will include a synthetic sports pitch. Completion is scheduled for September 2015.
Archbishop Blanch will follow the same internal layout of the previous two schools in that classrooms are visible from several points and there are no corridors. There is also solar-panelled roof to generate electricity, a theatre and recording and dance studios.
The project QS is local firm 2020 Liverpool. Willmott Dixon’s northwest manager director Anthony Dillon said: “A key focus for us is the number of Liverpool firms and people we get involved, especially since the projects are funded by local taxpayers. We have set a demanding but achievable target of having a 70% local workforce as it’s about strengthening the local economy as well as creating modern learning environments for pupils to reach their full potential.”
Examples of local firms benefiting from the previous two schools include D Morgan, the demolition contractor, who helped save £20,000 on recycling costs at Notre Dame, plus A&B Engineering, an M&E company located four miles from the city centre. Another local firm, Cull Dry Lining, carried out plastering on both Notre Dame and Archbishop Beck schools.
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