Dawnus: Firms rehired to finish building Welshpool school

The school in Welshpool was left partly built when Dawnus went bust

Two firms whose work on a new £11.5m school in Powys stopped when the main contractor went bust have been rehired to help finish the job.

The new English-medium Church in Wales primary school in Welshpool was left partially built when Dawnus Construction collapsed in March.

Architype and WSP will resume their consultant roles while the search begins for a new main contractor.

Building of the new school is now expected to finish in September 2020.

Marianne Evans, education services senior manager, said Powys County Council was "in the process of re-tendering for a main contractor to complete the construction".

"There is also a need to secure the continued service of the main architectural/engineering design consultants that were originally commissioned by Dawnus," she added.

"Officers have engaged with both companies and discussions have been positive."

• Calls for tighter controls as contractors go bust

• Dawnus warnings 'could have come sooner'

• Dawnus got public money amid cash trouble

Two other school projects in Powys hit by the demise of Dawnus are still at the planning stages, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

They are a Welsh-medium primary school for Welshpool and new premises for the all-ages Ysgol Bro Hyddgen in Machynlleth.