Two make shortlist for £143m Blackpool BSF

Eric Wright and the New Horizons joint venture led by Morgan Sindall have made the shortlist for the £143m Blackpool Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme.

Blackpool Council is taking forward its BSF project as part of Wave 5 of the £55bn BSF programme.

The project will cover all eight secondary schools and three special schools in the borough.

Most of the schools date from the 1950s and will be remodelled, while two new education facilities will be purpose-built.

The first new school delivered under the Blackpool BSF project is scheduled to open in time for the beginning of the new school term in September 2012.

Plans for Blackpool BSF include the country’s first “studio school”, designed to deliver vocational training to students in the 14-19 age group.

A preferred bidder is expected to be selected by early 2010.