Norwest Holst on course for Barnet school

Industry insiders say Norwest Holst has made the grade for an education-sector deal in north London. Weighing in at up to £33m, it is one of the biggest schemes of its type to come up for grabs for some time.

Sources say the firm is closing in on the East Barnet Secondary School ahead of its two rivals, Alfred McAlpine and Willmott Dixon.

The design and build project involves building a replacement multi-storey secondary school for 1,350 pupils and is likely to be tackled in two phases.

The first phase will involve construction work and some of the external works, while the second phase will feature demolishing the present school and completing the remainder of the external projects.

The plan is for the first phase to be finished in time for the start of the September 2009 term.

The East Barnet school is currently split over two sites. The school intends to sell off its Westbrook Crescent campus and rationalise the new school onto a single site at Chestnut Grove.