A multi-million pound scheme to deliver new, state-of-the-art facilities for Lancashire Police has reached a key milestone.
A topping out ceremony, to recognise reaching the highest point of the build, was held at what will become the force’s new headquarters for its west division in Blackpool, with guests including police officers, police staff and Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw.
Leading property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard is providing project management, quantity surveying and NEC supervisor services for the £24m build, which will provide a base for local policing and immediate response teams as well as housing a public enquiry desk, investigations hub and 42 custody cells. It will also bring together a range of specialist teams, serving the whole of the division. The firm is working in partnership with contractor Willmott Dixon and multi-disciplinary designer McBains Cooper.
The project is being delivered through Scape Group’s national Major Works framework as part of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s capital programme.
Jon Parry, Regional Director at Pick Everard, said: “The topping out ceremony has marked an important milestone for this project and we are excited to have reached this point in the scheme, which will provide state-of-the-art facilities for Lancashire Constabulary.”
The new building, located close to the M55 on Clifton Road, represents the force’s largest ever investment and will replace the current Bonny Street Police Station, which is no longer fit for purpose.
“Pick Everard is responsible for project delivery from start to finish, which has included navigating a challenging two-year period to develop the brief, undertake extensive stakeholder engagement and develop designs with full constabulary and stakeholder sign off,” added Jon.
“Working together, we have overcome numerous obstacles by implementing strong project governance and communication, helping to steer the project forward to the point we are at today. Furthermore, we are on target to complete the build by 2018.”
The three-storey building will focus around open plan workspaces with large light wells and floating staircases and has also been designed to meet the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREAM) ‘Very Good’ standard.
With a focus on creating a better working environment for staff and detainees and proving more efficient use of property, the new-build will be environmentally friendly with energy saving features such as solar panels and rainwater harvesting.
Anthony Dillon, Willmott Dixon Managing Director for the North, said: “We have taken our learning from other police force projects we’ve been involved in and applied our experience here.
“Through the contract with the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office we are also ensuring that the work carried out benefits the local economy and have set a target that 75% of the project spend will be with local SMEs, with 20% spend coming from companies located within a 10 mile radius, rising to 75% spend within 40 miles.”
Ian Cosh, director of resources at Lancashire Constabulary, said: “It’s great to see the new headquarters, which will drive forward policing in the area, really starting to take shape. I firmly believe that the building will help us to provide a better quality of service to the public.”
PCC Clive Grunshaw, added: “The new headquarters will no doubt be a landmark building once complete and it’s exciting to see it take shape. Through my Social Value Policy I am committed to ensuring that this project has a positive impact on the community and the local economy and I’m pleased to see that the majority of the spend for the new-build is taking place within Lancashire.”
