This report requests that the Director of Regeneration and Place agrees to award a construction contract to Wilson Development and Construction Ltd. The contract includes extensive internal and external refurbishment over a 14-week contract period. The construction works will provide nursery places for pupils who have moved from the Leasowe Nursery site to Castleway Primary School in September 2022 but also to address significant condition and suitability works at the school.

The decision supports the delivery of the Wirral Plan by providing Brighter Futures: working together for brighter futures for our children, young people, and their families by breaking the cycle of poor outcomes for all regardless of their background.

Appendix 1 of this report is not for Publication by virtue of by virtue of paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972

Resolved – That the Director of Regeneration and Place has approved that the contract to undertake internal and external refurbishment works at Castleway Primary School be awarded to Wilson Development and Construction Ltd within the approved budget and as the highest scoring tenderer in accordance with the lowest fixed priced criteria.

The proposal to co-locate Castleway Primary School and Leasowe Nursery was considered by the Children’s Department in 2020 when pupil numbers in the Leasowe area decreased.  Subsequently the Federation of the two schools was discussed and agreed by the schools’ governing bodies.

A request for a Capital allocation to support the bringing together of the two schools was reflected in the approval of an interim borrowing agreement which was approved by Council as part of the Q3 Capital Monitoring on 1 March 2021.

Due to the change of location of the newly federated school from the Leasowe Nursery site to the Castleway site, a potential capital receipt from the sale of the Castleway site was no longer possible and funding would be drawn from the school’s Department for Education (DfE) Capital allocation at the start of the project. This would remove the requirement to secure an interim Capital borrowing amount to commence the project.

A detailed specification of requirements was issued in July 2022 and a tender exercise undertaken. Five bids were received. The bids were scored on a fixed price basis with Wilson Development and Construction Ltd meeting the necessary criteria and submitting the lowest fixed price tender.

The relocation of Castleway Primary pupils to the Leasowe Nursery site had been considered prior to the formation of the Unity Federation. This was the preferred option at the time of the capital bid. Following the decision of the two schools to federate, the site of Castleway was considered to offer the best option for the future of the school and better suited the geographical considerations of schools in the area. Similar amounts of construction work would have been required to make the Leasowe Nursery building suitable for primary aged pupils.

The condition of the school and its suitability to receive nursery aged pupils dictated that substantial works were required to meet safety and educational needs. A reduced range of works could have been considered however, many elements were inter-dependent, and the scheme put forward addressed both change requirements for the incoming nursery pupils and the general fabric condition and suitability of the building.  

To do nothing with the fabric of the building would not meet the educational requirement of the nursery pupils and would introduce health and safety risks to pupils and staff.