Kimpton have been appointed by Kier Regional Building North West to deliver the mechanical and electrical services for a new Pupil Referral Unit at Plas Derwyn & Queensferry CP as well as for the extension and refurbishment of the existing Plas Derwyn & Queensferry CP Primary School.
The work will all be based around the existing Queensferry Campus in Deeside and is part of an overall £10.5m schools and community hub project by Flintshire County Council. The project has been supported by the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools and Colleges programme.
The existing Queensferry CP School for children aged 3-11 will be remodelled and refurbished to cater for up to 180 full-time pupils. Areas of the existing school will be demolished and a new hall and kitchen facilities created. There will also be a new entrance area to create a more modern, welcoming face for the school.
In addition, a brand new two-storey 1600 m2 SEN facility, with eight classrooms will also be built. Plas Derwen has been designed for up to 97 children aged 4-16 years who cannot access mainstream education due to behavioural, social or emotional needs.
There is also a new 600m2 community hub with changing rooms and learning spaces that is being built. It will be used by local community sports clubs, including a local rugby club as well as a community space for other local groups.
The work for the Kimpton team will start on site in late March and we expect the commissioning of all our work to be finished in September this year too.
We’re working with Mara Electrical to be able to deliver all of the electrical services throughout the build. Established more than ten years ago, Mara are based close to the job itself, in Queensferry. With our corporate and social responsibility in mind and the desire to add social value to any of our projects, partnering with Mara ensures we are putting back directly into the local economy, whilst still working with genuine experts in their field.
On the mechanical services side, we’ll be providing services to the new two-storey PRU comprising a new plant room, which will be served with air sourced heat pumps and the heating and domestic water services. We will be utilising a mixture of mechanical and natural ventilation systems. In addition, there will be an extract system for toilets and other rooms, natural ventilation with heat recycling (NVHR) in teaching rooms and breathing building cowls in the halls, plus a complete wet sprinkler system and sanitary ware throughout.
On the electrical side, Mara will be involved with diverting the LV supply cables for the primary school to allow for the demolition of the remaining area of the Former John Summers High School. They will also be installing all of the internal and external lighting, power, data, access control, Photovoltaic Panel as well as the site-wide CCTV system.
Speaking about the appointment, Simon Mara said “The offer to be involved in another BIM project with Kimpton and demonstrate our ongoing partnership is a fantastic opportunity. The fact that it is local to our office means we will be able to use new and existing apprentices on-site and provide opportunities for the local colleges that would have not have been there otherwise.
Ron Tierney, Kimpton technical Director was also similarly enthusiastic. In an interview he said “We’re delighted with this appointment and very pleased to be working with Kier again. This type of project is right in our sweet spot and plays exactly to our strengths. The finished job will be a genuine asset to the local community and ensure the Welsh Government are delivering on their educational investment promises.”
Welsh Education Minister Kirsty Williams said: “This is an exciting announcement and another example of how the Welsh Government’s 21st Schools and Colleges Programme is having a positive impact on education and learning.
“Our national mission is to raise standards, reduce the attainment gap and deliver an education system that is a source of national pride and our 21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme plays a key part in this.
“This investment is absolutely crucial if we are to provide our pupils with the learning environments they deserve while supporting them to achieve their aspirations.”
As usual, we will update you on the project as it progresses.
If you would like to discuss any of our services, please call 0151 343 1963 or complete the form below and we will be in touch shortly.
