Sharpe Pritchard advised Bracknell Forest Council on a £40million BSF project which completed in February 2009. Senior solicitor Annie Moy led the legal team, supported by Jo Hawkins and benefiting from the extensive expertise in education law and local government of senior solicitor Tim Farr and partner Paul O’Sullivan. 

Sharpe Pritchard were appointed in September 2008 to advise on the project, which will see to the complete rebuilding of Garth Hill College in Bracknell. The team successfully concluded commercial negotiations within an extremely challenging timescale, enabling the project to start both on time and within budget.

The ambitious One School Pathfinder project is being designed and constructed by Mace Plus Limited. New facilities at the school will include a theatre auditorium, a floodlit artificial pitch, a music centre with recording studio, and a state-of-the-art media suite. Chief Officer David Watkins said: “The project will deliver a state-of-the-art, 21st Century learning environment which will impact enormously upon the local community. These are very exciting times for everyone connected with Garth Hill and we look forward to construction starting in the next few weeks.”

Annie Moy said, “We are delighted to have closed another BSF project and look forward to continuing to consolidate our leading position in advising local authorities on major education deals. The Garth Hill project was very resource intensive and required the whole project team to work closely, flexibly and under great time pressure to ensure that the Council’s high expectations were met.”.

The completion of this project follows the commercial close last October of Richmond upon Thames’ BSF One School Pathfinder at Teddington School. Sharpe Pritchard is also currently advising Cambridgeshire County Council and Suffolk County Council on their Wave 4 and Wave 6 BSF projects.