Duke of York Royal Military School to be extensively refurbished by BAM
Dover, 4 September 2012 - BAM Construction is to deliver a £25 million expansion of a co-educational boarding school in Kent.The contractor will refurbish Grade II listed buildings at the Duke of York’s Royal Military School in Dover, as well as providing several new buildings.The school became an ‘Academy with Military Traditions’ in September 2010, and is now open to the children of both serving and non-serving parents.
BAM’s major project will include demolishing several non-listed blocks and building a sports hall, two two-storey teaching blocks and four two-storey junior boarding houses. The company will also erect a two-wing, two-storey extension to Centenary House for senior boarders.Further remodelling and repair work will take place across the estate, as will hard and soft landscaping and the provision of car park spaces.The scheme will increase capacity at the school from 468 to 722 pupils and provide enhanced facilities.
Project director Rod Stiles said:‘BAM is pleased to be able to use our extensive experience in the education sector to help this historic and important school upgrade its facilities.This scheme will provide cutting edge teaching, living and sporting facilities for students while remaining loyal to its historic roots. Most of the suppliers and construction workforce will be from Kent and our training programmes will continue to develop new local construction apprentices.’
Executive Principal, Chris Russell, said:‘We are delighted that BAM has been selected to enhance our already extensive school site and facilities.This programme will ensure that the Duke of York’s Royal Military School will remain a leading state boarding academy for many years to come.’
The project builds on a thriving workload for the BAMConstruction teams in the county. Earlier this year BAM revealed that in the last decade it had delivered buildings in Kent worth more than a third of a billion pounds.
The contractor is currently working on three academies in Medway, and the first of these, Strood Academy, opens its doors to 1,500 new students on 3September. BAM recently also completed over the stunning Bluewater events venue and rebuilding of the campus facilities at Dartford and Gravesend for North West Kent College.