Work has begun on the new primary school for Nansledan, the Duchy of Cornwall’s extension to the seaside town of Newquay.
The start of the building work was marked with a groundbreaking ceremony with representatives from the Duchy of Cornwall, contractor Midas Construction and Aspire Academy Trust, who will operate the school.
The name of the school, Skol Nansledan, was unveiled by HRH The Duke of Cornwall earlier this year. Skol means school in Cornish – fitting in with the theme of Cornish names throughout Nansledan.
The 14-classroom school will cater for around 420 children and is due to open in September 2019.
Designed by Francis Robert Architects and Alan Leather Associates, it will have a hall as the main focal point at the centre of the building and will be flanked by classroom wings at either end.
Peter James, Nansledan Project Manager from the Duchy of Cornwall, said: “The start of work on Skol Nansledan marks a significant milestone and underlines the Duchy’s commitment to providing community facilities and building a truly sustainable development. The school will be in walking and cycling distance from the Nansledan community and new cycle routes will be created to link through to the rest of Newquay in order to reduce car usage and encourage healthier lifestyles. We very much look forward to Skol Nansledan opening next year.”
Regional contractor Midas Construction, part of the Midas Group, who also built the Great Cornish Food Store and Waitrose on Duchy-owned land in Truro, are now fully mobilised on the 4.7 hectare site off Quintrell Road.
Mike Borkowski, Business Development Director at Midas Construction, said: “We are delighted to be starting work on site at Nansledan, continuing our strong partnership with the Duchy of Cornwall and providing a vital facility for the local community in a landmark building.”
The grounds of the school will help reinforce the sustainability ethos of Nansledan and include an orchard and allotments where children will be taught where their food comes from and how to cook with healthy locally sourced food. Other school facilities will include sports pitches, an outdoor play and teaching areas.
Alistair Sneddon, Estate Manager at the Aspire Academy Trust, said: “The Aspire Academy Trust is delighted to be partnering with the Duchy of Cornwall and Midas in this exciting project. The attention to detail in the design to date will ensure that the school building is of the highest quality. Once complete, this school will offer a state of the art learning facility within an iconic building.
“As part of the Aspire family of schools, Skol Nansledan will benefit from the academic expertise of 27 other primary schools in Cornwall as well as a complete package of support services. We are delighted to be receiving so many expressions of interest from prospective parents and are looking forward to meeting many more at the consultation meeting on Wednesday 18th July at the Duchy of Cornwall offices in Nansledan.”
Nansledan is being built on mainly Duchy-owned land to the east of Newquay and will eventually comprise around 4,000 homes mixed with retail, offices, workshops, green spaces and a range of community facilities.
It is being built by a consortium of South West building companies including Wainhomes, CG Fry & Son and Morrish Builders.
