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Nearly 60 years after it was built, the former St Peter Port Secondary School will be fully confined to the history books before the next term starts.
The decision to demolish the former school at Les Ozouets was made some time ago, but only now has a contract been awarded to actually knock it down.
Political wrangling over the future of the post-16 campus at Les Ozouets had delayed the demolition work, but Rok Construct (2017) Limited has now been given the go ahead to start taking the 1960s building down.
As part of the demolition contract, the firm will have to remove asbestos from the site.
That work will start this month, with the whole demolition project expected to take 16 weeks, meaning the entire building should be gone by the end of August.
Pictured: It's still known to many as St Peter Port school but for the last few years of its working life, the building was home to The Guernsey Institute.
St Peter Port Secondary School opened in 1968 and closed in 2009.
During that time frame it had educated thousands of boys and girls between 11 and 16 years old.
After the secondary school closed, the building was used by the College of Further Education, and latterly The Guernsey Institute after the College of FE merged with other educational bodies.
Education, Sport, and Culture intends to create a post-16 campus on the site, encompassing the TGI and a new sixth form centre in time.
Funding has been agreed for the first phase of that work to build the TGI facilities. The States also agreed to put down the foundations for a new sixth form centre at the same time, but any building work on that project is slated for phase two, which doesn't have funding agreed yet.
Director of Education, Nick Hynes is the Senior Responsible Officer for the Transforming Education Programme. He is pleased there is now movement on these works.
"Awarding this contract is a significant step as we progress plans to build new and much-needed facilities for The Guernsey Institute and lay the foundations for the new Sixth Form Centre, agreed by the States in January as the first phase of the construction of our new Post-16 Campus at Lez Ozouets. While the tender is out now to find a construction partner for the build, it is important that this initial work is commenced to demolish the former St Peter Port School building and clear it of asbestos.
Pictured: Rok Construct (2017) Limited is a Jersey firm.
"We’re pleased to have appointed Rok Construct (2017) Limited to carry out this work as it offered a highly competitive tender which offered the best value for money and shortest mobilisation time alongside proven specialist experience of asbestos removal and demolition."
The company awarded the contract to knock down the former St Peter Port school is a Jersey firm with experience in building a school among other achievements.
Rok Construct Ltd says "we believe in building and maintaining strong relationships with our clients, who trust us for our proven ability to manage both people and projects. Our focus on partnership and collaboration is the key to our strong client base and repeat business".
Among the works advertised on its website, Rok had developed Les Quennevais school in Jersey.
No decision has yet been made on which firm will build Guernsey's new post-16 campus with the tender process for the construction work now underway.
ESC says it hopes construction of the new facilities will begin in early 2025.
The current target date for the opening of The Guernsey Institute’s new facilities at Les Ozouets is early 2027.
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