Ground broken at £7 million primary school for New Lubbesthorpe

The 420 place school, which will cost nearly £7 million to build, is scheduled to open in September 2019, as part of the 1,000 acre development bringing 4,250 homes to the outskirts of Leicester, between Enderby and Leicester Forest East.

Located on Tay Road, in the middle of New Lubbesthorpe, the as-yet unnamed school will be close to a new local centre, which will feature retail and community facilities. The school is the first of three new schools planned for the development, with a second primary school and a secondary school to be constructed as the community continues to grow.

The Drummond Estate, which owns the land on which the development is being built, gained planning permission for the school from Blaby District Council earlier this year. It is being built by Clegg Construction, in collaboration with Bentley Project Management, and was designed by GSS Architecture to be a key landmark of the development’s central square.

Martin Ward, Director of Chartered Surveyors Mather Jamie and spokesperson on behalf of the Drummond Estate, said, “The start of construction on this new primary school is a major step in the continuing planned development of New Lubbesthorpe and I’m very pleased we could mark the occasion with a ground-breaking ceremony at the site today.”

Councillor Terry Richardson, Leader of Blaby District Council, said, “We are extremely pleased to see that New Lubbesthorpe is growing so rapidly as construction begins on the first primary school. This also shows that the promised infrastructure is being delivered, which will make New Lubbesthorpe a highly desirable and sustainable development.”

“We’re also delighted to hear that the first baby has been born to a resident living in the new development, and look forward to them attending this primary school in the coming years.”

Tom Mascari, Associate Director of Bentley Project Management, said, “The close involvement of all partners ensures that this community is delivered as planned, to schedule and with the essential supporting infrastructure in place.”

Tom Jagger, of GSS Architecture, who designed the school said “The school has been designed in a contemporary style akin to the adjacent residential development. The façade will provide an attractive street frontage, complementing and enhancing the surrounding area.”

Tim Walker, Construction Director of Clegg Construction, said, “We’re delighted to be working on such an important building which will form an integral part of the wider development. We have a long history in the construction of educational buildings and the site team is ready to deliver an exceptional project.”

Local developers Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes and Davidsons are building quality new homes at New Lubbesthorpe, the first of which are already completed and inhabited.

For details of similar land opportunities in Leicestershire, and elsewhere in the East Midlands, please contact Martin Ward on 01509 233433