Morgan Sindall & Concertus set to deliver Suffolk’s first Net Zero primary school

Morgan Sindall Construction’s Eastern Counties business, alongside design and property consultants Concertus, have been appointed to deliver a 420-place Net Zero in operation primary school and pre-school in Lakenheath. The scheme is being provided for Suffolk County Council, as it looks to meet the region’s demand for high quality pupil places.

Procured through the Suffolk Construction and Building Services Framework, the new building is set to become the first Net Zero in operation primary school within the region.

The landmark Lakenheath Primary and Pre-School will span across two-storeys, with state-of-the-art leisure and sporting facilities, hard and soft landscaped outside play areas. The two-form entry primary school will also include a brand new 30-place nursery onsite.

In order to achieve its Net Zero in operation status, the project team will utilise Morgan Sindall’s in house carbon reduction tool CarboniCa throughout construction to manage and reduce carbon output.

The development of Lakenheath Primary and Pre-School will meet a heightened demand for early and primary years education in the area, which has been driven by the planned construction of 375 new homes nearby.

As part of Morgan Sindall’s Intelligent Solutions approach, extra consideration has been given to the ecology and acoustics within the primary school. A biodiversity area is being provided as part of the plan as well as extra consideration is being made to the project’s acoustics, due to the site’s close vicinity of RAF Lakenheath. This is to not only secure the long term, sustainable future of the school, but also provide the students with first class facilities, giving them the best opportunity to learn.

Morgan Sindall’s Eastern Counties business is committed to delivering real social value where it is most needed in the communities in which it operates. Throughout the construction, the project team plan on engaging with other local schools, colleges and the wider community, to ensure a positive impact is made on Lakenheath. Having delivered a number of high-quality educational facilities across the East of England, Morgan Sindall has a strong track record in creating schools tailored to the demands of the local area, and which provide as much social benefit for the community as possible.

Alister Broadberry, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Eastern Counties, said: “Morgan Sindall understands the important role that educational facilities have in the formative years of young people’s lives, and the importance of providing them with first class facilities that enables them to fulfil their potential. As a local business, we understand how much this development is required and the important role it will play for the growing population of Lakenheath. We are excited to get started and engage with the local community to ensure that this school supports them for many generations to come”.

Cllr Rachel Hood, Cabinet Member for Education, SEND and Skills at Suffolk County Council, said: “This is an important and exciting project providing a much-needed facility for Lakenheath Primary School to relocate and expand. This will also be Suffolk County Council’s first Net Zero primary school”.

Darren Fellowes, Associate Director from Concertus, said: “We are pleased to be working closely with Suffolk County Council Children and Young People (CYP) team and existing school to design their first Net Zero school. Having been involved since the inception stages, we have overcome many acoustic challenges due to its proximity to the RAF Lakenheath airbase. Our collaboration with CYP has allowed us to utilise the invaluable knowledge and experience of all project team members, shaping the designs for what will be an incredibly innovative school, setting a new standard for educational facilities across the region. We are thrilled to have welcomed Morgan Sindall Construction as the main contractor on the scheme and look forward to reaching new milestones as the project progresses”.