New Warwickshire school over budget by £10m
A new school being built at Oakley Grove is already over budget and will now cost £60.46m.
Warwick’s new all-through school at Oakley Grove is now set to cost £60.46m – more than £10m more than Warwickshire County Council originally budgeted for.
Extra funding was agreed in July and councillors approved an additional £4.31m at this week’s full council meeting to cover the cost of extra earthworks identified during further survey work. A portion will also pay for highways work with £1m needed to account for the inflation costs for labour and materials.
A report considered by councillors explained that It was critical that the council entered into a contract with the main contractor Wilmott Dixon prior to Christmas so that prices could be fixed and completion dates not put at risk. The school, alongside the new housing developments between Warwick and Bishop’s Tachbrook, is expected to open in September 2024.
Cllr Peter Butlin (Con, Admirals and Cawston), the portfolio holder for finance and property, said: “We have already asked for an additional £6m which was to take into account the inflationary costs and the new regulations. Since that time we have got planning permission and survey work has been done as a result of which we need an extra £4.3m.
“The main item is for what they call lime stabilisation and additional groundworks to improve the existing geology. This is nothing to do with the topography, it is to do with the waterlogging that occurs.”
He added that discussions had taken place to reduce the impact of road closures on those living nearby.
Cllr Butlin said: “They were originally proposing the closure of the road for six months and we could not countenance that. We have gone back and forth and have found a solution to avoid that closure but that has added some extra costs.”
Cllr Jan Matecki (Con, Budbrooke and Bishop’s Tachbrook) outlined the situation regarding road closures.
He said: “Initially, the contractor put in a construction management plan that closed the road completely, including the footpath, for six months. This would have cut Bishop’s Tachbrook off from Leamington other than by car involving a long diversion and children would not have been able to walk or cycle to school.
“The road closure is now down to 20 weeks with one-way traffic and a permanently open footpath during construction – the reopening of a disused footpath.”
Cllr John Holland (Lab, Warwick West), who had questioned the increase in costs when they were approved in the summer, admitted there was little option but to find the extra cash.
He said: “We are now in a position where this has to be agreed and it has to go ahead because we have young people who need places in schools and there is nothing else on offer other than this project.”