RESIDENTS across Cheshire West are being offered an exclusive opportunity to have a look behind the scenes at one of the area’s most exciting building sites.

Winsford Academy will open its doors as part of ‘Open Doors Weekend’, a pilot project from the construction industry that invites members of the public from all across the UK to visit and tour a construction site in their area.

On November 9 and 10, Kier Construction, the main contractor at Winsford Academy, will open the doors to the site, offering tours and giving people the chance to learn more about the project, its development and the world of construction.

Tony Harrison from Kier said: “We are really looking forward to welcoming members of the local community onto our site. It’s fantastic to be able to offer people the chance to see what we do and see the Winsford Academy as it’s being built.

"Working on a construction site can be challenging but it’s extremely exciting and rewarding as well. I hope that members of the public get a sense of that and a better understanding of what’s involved by coming on to the site.”

The Open Doors scheme is being trialled across the country and is the result of a partnership of four leading industry bodies, UK Contractors Group (UKCG), CITB-ConstructionSkills, The Considerate Constructors Scheme and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

Kier is one of over 23 employers taking part in Open Doors on 91 sites across England, Scotland and Wales.

Speaking on behalf of the Open Doors Partnership, CITB sector strategy manager for the north west, Steve Housden, said: “Open Doors is a unique opportunity for the industry to display the complexity and scope of modern construction projects and give people a taste of what it’s really like to work in the industry.”

The Winsford Academy site will be open on Friday, November 9 from 9am to 4pm and on Saturday, November 10 from 9am to 1pm.

For more information, or to register, visit opendoorsweekend.co.uk.