Plans for £50m school hit 'massive' milestone

PLANS to build a £50m new high school in Berwick have reached a major milestone.

- JAMES ROBINSON Local Democracy Reporter [e-mail]

Berwick Academy in Northumberland

The outline business case for the long-awaited project has been published by Northumberland County Council and is expected to be approved by cabinet next week.

It means procurement for the construction contract will be able to get under way as soon as October, with the aim of approving a contractor in the spring. It is expected that the new build will be completed by September 2028.

The budget for the project, which includes upgrades to local first schools to fit into a new two-tier model, has increased by £5.2m to £64m. Of this, £50.91m is earmarked for the new buildings at Berwick Academy.

In comparison, the council invested £50m in Seaton Valley to create a new “super school” consisting of the middle school and high school.