Willmott Dixon hosts climate briefing screening for Marple residents and businesses

Willmott Dixon has hosted a screening of the People's Emergency Briefing at The Regent Cinema in Marple, Stockport, bringing together local businesses, community organisations and residents while it builds two public schemes in the borough.

The contractor said the event, announced on 29 October 2026, gave attendees the chance to hear evidence on the climate and nature crisis before discussing what it means locally and the practical steps businesses and communities can take.

According to Willmott Dixon, the film draws on the National Emergency Briefing, at which experts set out the implications of the crisis for areas including health, food systems, national security and the economy.

Leanne Fletcher, Principal Sustainability Manager for the North at Willmott Dixon, said: "Our responsibility extends beyond the buildings we deliver."

The Stockport projects

Willmott Dixon said it is currently on site delivering the new Marple Community Hub and the nearby Bramhall High School, and that the screening formed part of its commitment to sustainability and to leaving a legacy beyond the buildings themselves.

The £20m hub is being built in Memorial Park, Marple. Willmott Dixon's project page says it was procured through the Procure Partnerships framework and is due to be completed in autumn 2026. When the company announced a ceremonial groundbreaking in the park on 9 May 2025, it said the hub would open in 2026.

At Bramhall High School, Willmott Dixon is working under a Department for Education (DfE) contract, which the company's announcement valued at £46m, to rebuild the school. The new building is a three-storey, 9,252 sq m school for 11 to 16-year-olds, designed by Sheppard Robson.

Construction began in October 2026, Willmott Dixon said. The new school building is due for completion in August 2028, with overall site completion expected in September 2029. The school will stay open and operate as normal throughout the rebuild, the company said.

Carbon targets

Willmott Dixon said its absolute operational emissions have fallen by 63% since 2018 and that reducing them remains a focus across all its projects.

The company said its science-based targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Its announcement of the Marple event gave a commitment to reach net zero across its value chain by 2045, while its published purpose page sets out a target of net zero carbon across its supply chain by 2040. The purpose page also states an aim to become a zero-carbon company in its own operations by 2030 without relying on offsetting.

Willmott Dixon said feedback after the screening included positive comments from local people and supply chain partners about the company taking the initiative to host it.

The Marple Community Hub is scheduled to complete in autumn 2026, with the Bramhall High School site due to finish in September 2029.