Work has commenced on two educational facilities at Glenvale Park, a 3,000 home sustainable urban extension to the north of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.

The works comprise a new two-form entry primary school for up to 420 pupils as well as a 75-place nursery and community centre.

Alongside these works, an exciting new children’s play park facility will be delivered, creating a flagship recreational amenity for children living in the area.

The ground-breaking ceremony marks a key point for the delivery of the development’s masterplan. In attendance were members of North Northants Council, Wellingborough Town Council, Homes England, and local community groups.

Special guest Cllr Valerie Anslow, Deputy Mayor of Wellingborough Town Council, cut the first piece of grass and said a few words to mark the occasion:

“The ground-breaking event was a great way to celebrate work beginning on the primary and nursery schools at Glenvale Park.

“It fills me with tremendous pride to be able to kick-off these works which will bring additional school spaces to Wellingborough and be a place of inspiration for future generations. I’m looking forward to seeing how the schools progress in the coming months ahead of their opening in 2023.”

Darren King, Managing Director at Lindum Group, said: “We have now started working on the primary school and another team from Lindum will start on the nursery in three weeks.

“To secure both contracts for the nursery and primary school will create a unique, but interesting situation for us, in the sense that we will have two separate teams working on projects that are right next to each other.

“This is an excellent opportunity for Lindum to help to expand and develop the community in our local area. I am very much looking forward to seeing this project completed and welcoming this new community into the already thriving area.”

Mark Best, Director of Midtown Capital, Managing Partners of Glenvale Park LLP, said: “We’re delighted that the first works have commenced on the two educational facilities at Glenvale Park, marking a significant milestone in the development’s progress as well as delivering on our commitment to generating social value for the Wellingborough area.

“The primary and nursery schools will become a space to learn for children living at Glenvale Park and beyond for many years to come. We’re excited to welcome the first pupils and their families to the schools in 2023.”

The design and delivery of the schools is being led by Kettering-based architects and lead consultants, GSS Architecture with the main construction works driven forward by Lindum Group.

Tom Jagger, Partner and Project Architect at GSS Architecture, said: “It’s fantastic to see works start on site at Glenvale Park. The new primary school, community centre, nursery and play equipment will provide a key hub for the new community, offering purpose-built facilities that can enable the delivery of excellent learning opportunities for local children and benefit the wider community.”

Glenvale Park is an exciting, award-nominated new neighbourhood in Wellingborough, offering quality new homes, convenient amenities, and exceptional green spaces. The development will generate a significant level of social value for the area, including the delivery of a community hub, educational facilities, care home, retail space and 25,000m² business park, which will house up to 3,000 jobs once completed.

Glenvale Park is located off Niort Way, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 6BW. For more information on the development, please visit glenvalepark.co.uk.