Willmott Dixon selected for Machynlleth school rebuild

Willmott Dixon has been named preferred contractor for the replacement Ysgol Bro Hyddgen school building in Machynlleth, Powys. The appointment advances a long-running programme to consolidate the school’s existing primary and secondary accommodation into a new 540-place facility, with the contractor now expected to work alongside the council and school representatives on detailed design and delivery arrangements.

Powys County Council confirmed the decision on 9 November as part of its Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys. The project will also support Ysgol Bro Hyddgen’s transition from a dual-stream school to a Welsh-medium institution, providing new facilities designed around the requirements of primary, secondary and post-16 education.

The preferred contractor appointment does not constitute confirmation that the main construction contract has been awarded or that work has started on site. Willmott Dixon will participate in the next stage of project development, working with the council, school leaders, governors, pupils and other stakeholders to refine the plans. A final construction programme and updated completion date have not been confirmed in the latest council information.

Planning permission for the replacement building was granted in October 2024, following submission of the application earlier that year. The approved scheme places the new school on the existing secondary school site, allowing the council to bring together teaching functions currently accommodated in separate buildings. The development is intended to replace ageing facilities while providing a more coordinated education environment.

The planned accommodation includes early years and primary education facilities, secondary and post-16 provision, an additional learning needs centre, wellbeing spaces and a community room. An all-weather sports pitch forms part of the scheme. These facilities must be coordinated within a building intended to support pupils of different ages and with differing educational requirements.

The building layout will need to account for the movement of pupils, staff and visitors between teaching spaces, communal areas and external facilities. Primary and secondary pupils have different requirements for supervision, access and circulation, while shared spaces must be capable of supporting activities involving different groups at different times. These relationships influence the positioning of entrances, internal routes, teaching areas and support accommodation.

Additional learning needs provision introduces further design considerations associated with accessibility, environmental conditions and the suitability of specialist teaching spaces. The council has identified inclusive and flexible accommodation as a requirement for the replacement building, although the final room specifications and detailed construction arrangements have not been published with the latest preferred contractor announcement.

Environmental performance is a substantial part of the project specification. Earlier council information identified Ysgol Bro Hyddgen as its intended first Passivhaus all-through school, with a net zero operational carbon objective. A March 2026 procurement notice also identified BREEAM Excellent and an embodied carbon target below 600kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per square metre.

These objectives relate to the building’s proposed design and are not certified outcomes from completed construction. The intended energy performance will depend on the detailed specification, construction quality, building services and eventual operation of the school. Confirmation of achieved performance will require the relevant testing, assessment and certification processes after the necessary work has been undertaken.

Passivhaus design places particular emphasis on the thermal performance and airtightness of a building. Insulation, windows, thermal bridges and ventilation must be considered as parts of an integrated system because heat losses or uncontrolled air movement at one location can affect the energy required to maintain suitable internal conditions throughout the building.

Airtight construction requires attention to junctions between structural components, façade elements and building services penetrations. These interfaces can be difficult to resolve if their design is deferred until construction because different subcontractors may be responsible for the adjoining elements. Detailed coordination is therefore important before work packages are procured and installation sequences are agreed.

Ventilation must also be designed around the activities and occupancy expected within the school. Teaching rooms, assembly spaces and specialist accommodation can experience different levels of use during the day. The building services strategy will need to provide appropriate internal conditions while managing energy consumption, with the precise technical arrangements confirmed through detailed design.

The embodied carbon objective introduces a separate consideration from operational energy use. Embodied carbon assessment accounts for emissions associated with materials and construction processes within the stated assessment boundary. Structural systems, façade construction and material quantities can influence the result, alongside the emissions associated with product manufacture, transport and installation.

Meeting the target requires the design team to balance material selection against structural performance, durability, fire safety, acoustic requirements and the practical demands of construction. Reducing the quantity or carbon intensity of a material may offer potential benefits, but alternatives must remain suitable for the building’s intended use and comply with the applicable technical standards.

The project’s earlier design had advanced to RIBA Stage 4 when Powys County Council undertook preliminary market engagement in March 2026. That exercise identified an estimated project value of £46m, alongside the established planning approval and environmental objectives. The figure was a procurement-stage estimate and has not been confirmed as the final value of a construction contract awarded to Willmott Dixon.

Preliminary market engagement provides an opportunity to examine contractor capacity and project requirements before later procurement decisions. In this case, the council’s November appointment establishes a preferred contractor for further development of the project. The design and build process will require the relevant commercial, technical and programme arrangements to be agreed before the main construction works can proceed.

Funding arrangements identified during the planning stage provided for 65% of the project to be supported through the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, with Powys County Council responsible for the remaining 35%. The latest appointment does not establish whether the final capital budget has changed from earlier project estimates.

Consolidating the school onto the existing secondary site will also require construction planning around the current educational accommodation and surrounding access arrangements. The council has not published the final strategy for temporary facilities, site separation or the continuation of school operations during construction. These matters must be resolved as the design and programme progress, particularly if parts of the site remain occupied while work is undertaken.

Richard Jones, Director at Willmott Dixon, confirmed the company’s intention to work with the council and education stakeholders during the next stage. Councillor James Gibson-Watt, Powys County Council’s Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys, said the appointment would support both the replacement building and the authority’s Welsh-medium education objectives.

The scheme has progressed through several planning and development stages, with earlier council material identifying different expected opening years. The latest announcement does not confirm a revised date, and those historic forecasts should not be treated as the current construction programme.

Willmott Dixon will now participate in detailed design development and engagement with the school community. Confirmation of the final construction contract, agreed programme and start on site will provide the next contractual and physical milestones for the replacement 540-place school.