A PREFERRED contractor has been chosen to build Basingstoke’s newest eco-friendly primary school.

Hampshire County Council has selected Willmott Dixon to build the Hounsome Fields Primary School, which will be designed and constructed to achieve Passivhaus Classic standard.

The £14.5m school will cater for 420 children aged between four and 11, and eight pupils with special educational needs, and will serve the housing developments at Hounsome Fields and Old Basingstoke Golf Course.

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Subject to planning consent, construction work at Hounsome Fields Primary School is set to start in early 2024, with the new school ready for the 2025 academic year - one of three new primary schools designed by Hampshire County Council set to be operational for September 2025.

The school is planned to be a Climate Change Primary School pilot project in line with the county council’s climate change commitments.

Sustainable features include a ground-source heat pump heating system beneath the playing fields, plus solar control triple glazing.

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Richard Poulter, managing director of Willmott Dixon in the South, said: “We are delighted to be working with Hampshire County Council once again. Our team will bring their extensive education and Passivhaus experience, working with Hampshire County Council and the project’s consultants to deliver a truly outstanding new school for the local community.”

James Wright, senior framework manager at SCF added: “SCF is pleased to continue supporting the delivery Hampshire’s of new schools with a clear focus on carbon reduction through Passivhaus design. Procuring via SCF will allow Willmott Dixon’s specialist teams to engage in the design process, supporting buildability and sharing experience and knowledge to successfully deliver these projects.”