Revealed: The future shape of education for town...
Construction is due to start this month on centres which will replace the existing Priory and Willowgarth schools with a new campus at
Shafton, and a replacement will also be built for Springwell special school, alongside refurbishment at Greenacre special school.
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Hide AdThe new element of the scheme, called Barnsley Building Schools for the Future, is costing 217m. All three are expected to be finished between the summer and December next year.
Work has already started on five learning centres and it is expected the entire project will be under way before the end of the year.
They are being built by Laing O'Rourke, which will then manage them on behalf of the council for the next 25 years under a Private Finance Initiative scheme, where outside investment is used to help fund the project, with the council agreeing to a long term contract to effectively lease the buildings back.
It is expected the whole network of nine learning centres will be complete by 2013, offering opportunities for school age children and the wider community.