CRHS plans are progressing, insists education minister

It's hoped building work could start next summer

The Department of Education has unveiled a new timeline for the construction of a replacement Castle Rushen High School.

It's formed part of an answer to a written Tynwald question.

The department won't publish the full design brief of the project, saying it forms part of the ongoing contract tender and remains commercially sensitive.

However, it says a previous project timeline from 2024 is no longer applicable because of the transition to a Design and Build delivery model.

It says the shift to this from a traditional delivery route has needed a full reassessment of sequencing, procurement and market engagement.

While there are a number of procurement milestones to reach, the department says some of them have been met.

AtkinsRealis has been appointed as the Integrated Consultancy Team while the architectural consortium has also been named, with Sheppard Robson as the lead, McGarrigle Ayre Architects providing on-Island support and DWF LLP acting as Project Counsel, with additional technical support from Stantec.

These appointments mean the design has been able to progress through the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stage 2, and that structured client engagement activity can now start.

It plans to appeal for expressions of interest for the design and build contractor this month before appointing them in February 2026.

The Guaranteed Maximum Price is hoped to be agreed by early April, before a planning application is submitted later that month.

All going well, the plans will be brought to Tynwald in June and, if supported, work could start on the site in the summer.