Consortiums compete for first stage of £35m academy programme

Balfour Beatty/BDP are competing with Carillion/Jestico + Whiles to win the first stage of Southampton council’s £35m academy programme.

The teams will develop plans for a first Oasis Academy before a choice is made in the autumn next year. A second academy will be added to the package for the preferred bidder.

The winning bidder will consolidate four of Southampton’s academies on two sites.

Oasis Academy Mayfield, worth approximately £15m, will be located on one of its current sites in The Grove, Sholing. Lord’s Hill, worth £20m, will be relocated to Five Acres at Lordshill Recreation Ground.

Meanwhile, the city council is moving forward with its £200m Building Schools for the Future programme. This week the council submitted its Strategy for Change Part 2 to government.