Great Crested Newts fail to conquer Hampton Hargate Primary School project

An exciting project to update and expand educational facilities for Hargate Primary School on HargateWay, Hampton, Peterborough is now complete. Main contractors for the £3.2m project were MARS Construction Ltd and the architects were Peterborough City Council.

The project comprised of two phases: the extension of the existing Hargate Primary School, which commenced in September 2010 and was completed in August; and the construction of a Children’s Centre, which began in November 2010 and was completed at the start of July.

Funding for the project was provided by three sources: a Sure Start grant funded the Children’s Centre, the city council provided £2 million towards the new classrooms and a Government grant covered the rest of the costs.

The extension of the existing Hargate Primary School was required in order to provide much needed additional space, including: a new sports hall and staff room, six new class bases, changing rooms and a plant room. The building comprises a traditional brick block superstructure with steelwork and traditional build plasterboard walls.

The Children’s Centre includes a reception area with a consulting room and two class bases. In addition, there is a function room containing kitchen facilities that can be split by a movable wall. The function may be hired out for meetings and parties.

Jamie Goldsmith from MARS Construction Ltd said: “The team – including the subcontractors, client and the Head Teacher – all worked extremely well together. The discovery of Great Crested Newts delayed the project for around twelve months and there was some particularly harsh weather at the start of the project; however, the team managed to work through these problems. The Head Teacher, staff, pupils and parents are very pleased with the end product, which at the end of the day is what it’s all about.”

MARS Construction Ltd operate through two main divisions, each with its own particular area of expertise. The company aims to provide their client with the highest quality of service and to deliver their individual requirements within budget and on programme. MARS Construction Ltd have experience solid growth as a result of their dedication to customer satisfaction, whilst emphasising their pro-active approach to health, safety and environmental issues. The growth, brand values and reputation achieved over recent years is attributable to the enthusiasm of their employees and their commitment to both the company and their customers.