A two-year construction project to enable a Preston primary school to double its pupil intake and transform its facilities has been completed.

Warden has officially handed over the project at Lea Community Primary School which has created four new classrooms, a new playground and an all-weather play area with climbing equipment, sensory garden and interactive area.

As part of the makeover, the school’s library, kitchens and areas around the key stage 1 classrooms have also been renovated. The £3.5m project has been funded through Lancashire County Council’s Department for Education grant.

It means that pupils will benefit from a hugely improved learning environment and better play facilities, while the school will be able to open its doors to an extra 210 pupils in future years, doubling the current intake.

Members of our project team joined children, teachers, and councillors to mark the official handover of the new facilities at the school.

Adrian Atkinson, director at Warden, said: “This has been an incredibly rewarding project for Warden Construction, delivering beautiful new classrooms and modern, state-of-the-art play facilities, as well additional social value outcomes.

“These improvements will allow children to fully benefit from the new spaces, and the school will now be able to double its intake, which is a fantastic boost for the community.”

Headteacher Lynne Slater said: “We are very pleased that our children and school community are going to see the benefit of the improvements to our school.

“The interactive play area and trim trail are wonderful and will really give the children and our school community the chance to grow and to make the most of the learning and play opportunities.

“This will improve the physical, social and cultural development of pupils, as well as improve their learning opportunities, and provide a significant boost to the local community in terms of additional school places.”

Councillor Matthew Salter, cabinet member for Education and Skills, said: “I’m delighted to be attending the official handover of the new facilities at Lea Primary School, and to speak to children and staff firsthand about how they welcome these new additions.

“I was impressed with the standard of the new additions and pleased that we are investing in the future. This will mean that the school can double its intake, and that more children and families in the local community will be able to enjoy learning here in the coming years.”

Representing Warden at the official handover were director Adrian Atkinson, health and safety advisor Bethany Elder, site manager Andy Worthington, contract manager Geoff Noblett, social value coordinator Heather Thompson, and marketing assistant Laura Atkinson.

As part of our social value delivery on the project, we undertook several school visits to engage pupils in construction learning activity and also donated prizes for the school’s summer fairs over the course of the project.

The project also saw new planting and landscaping with 30 new trees and 10 new bushes, while two new electric vehicle charges and solar panels were also incorporated into the project.

The professional team included Walsh IBS (electricians), North Star (groundworks) and Walsh IBS (mechanical).

Warden has completed work on a project that’s helped to deliver a new public square in Gorton town centre in Manchester.

We were appointed by Manchester City Council to transform an underused car park between Gorton Market and Tesco into a new flexible space, designed to improve connectivity through the town, encourage footfall, and host events.

The design of the square was shaped through consultation with residents and community groups, focusing on enhancing the space with new public realm features and upgraded infrastructure.

Works included the installation of interactive play features, light projections, and a nature area with new planters and trees, as well as improved pedestrian and cycling routes to ensure safer, more accessible movement through the area.

Approximately 1,900 square metres of the area was resurfaced with footpaths and a new access road and additional infrastructure has been installed, with new lighting, signage, and street furniture to enhance the square’s usability.

Ian Williams, managing director at Warden, said: “We are incredibly proud to have played our role in bringing this vibrant new public square to life for the people of Gorton.

“Seeing this underused space transformed into a welcoming heart for the community, one that complements the existing market and offers opportunities for connection and enjoyment for all ages, is truly rewarding. We believe this thoughtfully designed square will be a cornerstone of Gorton’s ongoing regeneration, and we look forward to seeing it thrive.”

Bev Craig, Leader of the Council, adds: “We are investing in our local communities across the city because we know how important Manchester’s high streets are to the people they serve. This isn’t just about accessing services easily; this is also about creating pride in our local spaces and neighbourhoods our residents want to live in.

“We know that Manchester people want to live in welcoming, clean and green communities that support businesses, create jobs and provide opportunities for new affordable housing.

“This is what we’re doing in Gorton, and we have our sights set on other district centres, for future investment that will continue our ongoing commitment to investing in the things our local communities want and need.”

We worked in partnership with Manchester City Council and local stakeholders, and alongside Halliday Meecham Architects and DEP landscape architects on the design of the square and helped secure the required planning approvals

As part of our commitment to social value, a series of community-focused initiatives have been delivered to support residents and leave a lasting legacy in Gorton.

The team visited St James’ Primary School, delivering two engaging sessions that introduced pupils to the built environment and the many career opportunities within construction. The aim was to inspire the next generation to see construction as an exciting, inclusive, and meaningful industry.

“The lesson was perfectly pitched and married up with our story and builders topic brilliantly. The Lego session was lovely, so engaging and made the links of building so well.

“It was just wonderful for the children to see you and the safety equipment and the illustrations of the new Gorton build.”

– Teacher, St James’ Primary School.

In addition, we engaged with young people not currently in education, employment or training (NEETs) at the Gorton Hub Job Centre, offering advice and guidance on how to access opportunities within the construction industry.

To further support the local community, we donated materials and equipment to the Men’s Sheds group based at Gorton Monastery, helping them progress with their latest project promoting wellbeing and social connection.

Further investment is planned for the area later this year, as part of the wider regeneration vision for Gorton, including the development of new affordable homes that will overlook the newly improved public square.

We recently worked with Manchester City Council on the delivery of a new eco-style modular café building, occupied by Grounded MCR, in Cringle Park, Levenshulme.