Replacement of Pimlico School top priority for Westminster City Council (21/06/2006)

The replacement of Pimlico School with a brand new school and other facilities that will provide something for the entire community has been announced as a priority for Westminster City Council under the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Whilst the principal aim of any redevelopment will be to provide a state of the art education facility, the 1.82 hectare site offers the opportunity to provide so much more.

Amongst options that are being considered are a public library, an adult education facility and a young people's advice centre.

Cllr Sarah Richardson, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, said: “The redevelopment of Pimlico School as part of our BSF plans gives us an opportunity to provide facilities that the entire south Westminster community can access.

“Of course our number one priority is to ensure that the new Pimlico school gives children every opportunity to succeed and we look forward to exciting designs coming forward next year that will achieve this ambition .”

Notes for Editors:

Pimlico is an inner city 11-18 mixed community school with a specialist status in the visual and performing arts. There are 1350 pupils on roll.

Westminster is in Wave 3 of the Building Schools for the Future programme for funding from 2007-08 onwards.

Subject to the approval of the Council's business case by Partnerships for Schools and Department for Education and Skills, Westminster expects to publish a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union in early July 2006 inviting bidders for the total programme of around £142m investment in all 7 secondary schools, the two special schools and the pupil referral unit.

This procurement process will lead to the appointment of a preferred partner around the end of July 2007, with works on site at the first three schools - Pimlico, St Marylebone and Westminster City - targeted to be underway in January 2008.

On 12 June the Cabinet agreed to support in principle other use facilities at Pimlico school site, subject to the development of business cases.

These other use facilities would be funded by the City Council alongside the BSF-funded school works.

For more information please call Nick Dines on 0207 641 1886 or 07944 088 162