G&H Leeds Wins £7.8m Contracts with Wates and Tilbury

G&H Leeds secures two school MEP design and build contracts worth £7.8m, including its first project with Wates and a Department for Education scheme with Tilbury Douglas

Leeds-headquartered MEP service provider G&H Leeds has been appointed to deliver two school mechanical, electrical, and public health design and build contracts worth a combined £7.8 million. The wins include the company’s first project in collaboration with Wates, delivering the new Joseph Norton Academy in Huddersfield on behalf of Kirklees Council, and a Department for Education commission with Tilbury Douglas to build Brunswick Community Primary School in Sheffield. G&H Leeds will deploy an 80-strong team across both projects, including apprentices, with both schemes featuring low-carbon technologies.

Why This Matters For Leeds

£7.8 million in contract wins for a Leeds-headquartered MEP specialist strengthens the city’s position in education sector construction at a time when the government is investing heavily in new school buildings. The 80 jobs across both projects, including apprentices, contribute directly to Leeds’ construction skills pipeline.

What G&H Leeds Will Deliver

The Joseph Norton Academy in Huddersfield will create a 38,350 sq ft specialist learning environment supporting 132 children and young people with social, emotional, and mental health needs. G&H’s 50-strong team will deliver a full MEP design and build package. Work began in April 2026 with completion expected in November. The building will feature photovoltaic panels, LED lighting, air source heat pumps, heat recovery systems, and smart CO2-controlled ventilation. Dan Miller, operations director at Wates Construction, said the partnership with G&H will help deliver a high-quality, future-ready school environment. Brunswick Community Primary School in Sheffield will be delivered for the Department for Education with Tilbury Douglas. A 30-strong G&H team will install a ground source heat pump, full mechanical and electrical services, a swimming pool, and photovoltaic panels, with completion in August 2027.

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“Education continues to be a key growth sector for G&H and these appointments mark an important milestone for the business especially our first project with Wates. Both schemes allow us to apply our extensive experience in delivering low-carbon MEP solutions within specialist education environments.”

— David Wilson, Operations Manager North, G&H

Building Partnerships from Leeds

The Wates relationship is the significant development for G&H commercially. Wates is one of the UK’s largest family-owned construction companies, and a first project together opens a pipeline of potential future work. The Tilbury Douglas relationship is more established – David Wilson described over a decade of collaboration between the two firms. G&H’s operations director David Wilson said both schemes allow the company to apply its extensive experience in low-carbon MEP solutions within specialist education environments. The contracts reinforce G&H’s position as a Leeds-based specialist winning work across the North of England in a sector that is growing as the government prioritises school building and decarbonisation of the public estate.