£17m Academy building work set to begin

The contract to construct the £17.6m state-of-the-art 900-place Academy in Middleton is set to begin - building work should start very soon.

Members of Rochdale Council and developers Willmott Dixon signed the contract just before Christmas, and if the project stays on schedule, the combined secondary and post-16 education centre should open in September 2010.

The entire site will be replanted and landscaped to accommodate the new building.

The Academy, which began life in 2007, is sponsored by The Church of England Diocese of Manchester and Ann and David Crossland - the family behind the multi-million pound MyTravel travel business.