Works starts on Exeter primary school

Work has officially got under way on a new primary school and nursery in the Newcourt area Exeter.

Cllr Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Councillor for Topsham and St Loyes, and The Venerable Douglas Dettmer, Archdeacon of Totnes, joined builders Midas Construction at a ground-breaking ceremony on the site of the new Trinity Church of England VA Primary & Nursery School (February 3).

The school will open initially in temporary accommodation in September 2017 for its first reception pupils, with the new school building off Vernon Crescent fully operational by Easter 2018.

The work was given the go-ahead in December 2016, and although the project has experienced a series of delays due to planning issues, The Diocese of Exeter was keen to reassure local families that the school will be open as scheduled in September.

John Searson, director of education for the Diocese of Exeter said: "We are grateful to the local community for their understanding while this project has been in development. We are delighted that Midas Construction are now on site and work is forging ahead.

"We are all working hard to establish the very best learning environment for our first cohort of children and look forward to working in partnership with local families to realise our vision for an outstanding school to serve the emerging and vibrant Newcourt community".

Cllr Andrew Leadbetter, who has been instrumental in getting this project to this stage, said: “We’ve been working very hard to ensure that the new school opens as soon as possible to serve the families in the area.
“I’m delighted that building work is now under way on the permanent building but that we can offer places from September 2017 in temporary accommodation. Devon County Council has a close partnership with the Diocese of Exeter and I am sure that Trinity will be an excellent school from the start.”

Steve Rosewell, operations director for Midas Construction said that Midas were highly experienced in delivering new and refurbished schools across the Devon and Cornwall region, completing four in Exeter alone in the last two years.

He added: “As a company, Midas is proud to be delivering this important project for The Diocese of Exeter and the local community. Residents can be assured that we will be keeping them regularly updated on our progress, and as an associate member of the Considerate Constructors Scheme, we are committed to working hand-in-hand with the local community and delivering best practice.”

The initial phase of the activity will commence with earthworks to level the land ready for the start of building work. Over the coming months, Midas will be installing a road into site to enable deliveries and access for machinery. There will also be a temporary car park within the site boundaries for contractors, aimed to minimize the impact on parking for local residents.