Pupils in Essex are settling into their new net zero school following completion of works by Morgan Sindall Construction.

The tier one contractor handed the keys of Limebrook Primary School over to Essex County Council back in August after delivering 13 classrooms, a practical room, a studio and an SEN room, accommodating 420 children in total. The company also created a new nursery with the capacity of 56 places for 0-4 year olds.

Ryan Liversage, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in Essex, said: "It is a huge accomplishment to hand over the keys to this new net-zero school. Not only has our hard work created an exceptional learning environment for Maldon's next generation, but our sustainability initiatives continue to lead the way to a greener future for both construction and education. 

"Limebrook Primary School's success is testament to the great results of our collaboration with Essex County Council, and we can't wait for the children to enjoy their new school in September."

The project was granted through the Essex County Council framework as part of the South Maldon Garden Suburb development – a site that boasts planning permission to deliver up to 1,000 homes, as well as retail space, green spaces and allotments, and sports and playing fields.

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Pupils can also enjoy a large sports field, multi-use, hard-court games area, a habitat area and wildflower meadows on-site, while parents will benefit from a car park with electric vehicle chargers.

Taylor Wimpey has been on site for five years at Handley Gardens and provided the serviced land where the school was built.

David Pelle, Land and Planning Director for Taylor Wimpey, said: "Schools, shops and other facilities are essential to creating new communities, so we are delighted to see that Limebrook Primary School is now open. We're proud to have worked alongside Morgan Sindall at the outset of this project and it's a testament to their expertise that it has been delivered at such high quality.

"We look forward to completing further community facilities, such as the Limebrook Sports Pavilion, in the coming months."

Limebrook Primary School is set to deliver net-zero in operation by utilising Photovoltaic (PV) panels and air-source heat pumps which streamline energy efficiency, while the implemented mechanical and natural ventilation strategy and airtightness of the building retain a comfortable temperature for students and staff.

The project's unique drive for sustainability continued from construction to completion. Through use of the data-driven tool CarboniCa, Morgan Sindall reduced carbon emissions by over 90%, utilising responsibly sourced, palm-oil-free HVO during the development work instead of diesel.

By continuing Morgan Sindall's award-winning 10 Tonne Challenge, the project saved 290.4 tonnes of CO2, which is the equivalent of heating over 107 UK homes for a whole year.

Throughout the school's construction, the project team engaged with the local community in Maldon to deliver social value where it is most needed.

This included employment of local scaffolding, brick-laying and roofing contractors to bring the project to life.