History of Estate Development in Cleveland
The Office of the PCC (PCC), and formerly the Cleveland Police Authority (CPA), has planned for and overseen significant change in the estate infrastructure that operational policing in Cleveland uses.
In 1999, CPA and Durham Police Authority entered into one of the first collaboration agreements in policing for the development of new training facilities under a PFI agreement.
This was the start of a major series of infrastructure projects for CPA.
The development programme continued by the sale and development of neighbourhood policing properties in Guisborough and Loftus early in the new millennium.
These developments were quickly followed by the Action Stations Project for the development of the new Middlesbrough HQ in the Middlehaven area, the new Redcar and Cleveland HQ in Kirkleatham, and the two new neighbourhood offices in South Bank and Redcar.
These four buildings replaced the Middlesbrough Police Station at Dunning Road, Redcar Administration building at Dawson House, the old Redcar Police Station and South Bank Police Station.
CPA then continued with development in Hartlepool in 2007/08, by commissioning a full refurbishment of the building to make it legally compliant as a custody and operational police facility.
CPA in 2009, commissioned the development of the Roads Policing Unit at Wynyard that replaced the facility at Canon Park (which was again in much need of development).
The outsourcing agreement with Steria added a new Service Centre to Three Acres in Stockton, and the PCC still retains the Stockton HQ building at Thistle Green, which is in need of attention.
The Police Headquarters at Ladgate Lane was planned for review as early as 2007/08, but the infrastructure projects needed to be phased in series due to the level of management, funding and operational impacts of change.
Ladgate Lane
In 2009/10, proposals were developed for the sale of Ladgate Lane and a move to a new operationally fit for purpose police HQ.
Ladgate Lane is over 40 years old. It is too large for current operational policing and support requirements, and occupies a huge 60 acre site.
The operational police lead and CPA all agreed in 2010, that there was a need to review options for moving from Ladgate Lane to meet the financial and operational needs of policing in Cleveland.
This would be the last in a series of major developments in the estates infrastructure of Cleveland Police. The caveat was that the review must ensure that options were affordable and represented value for money for Cleveland tax payers and the budget of the-then Police Authority.
Stakeholder engagement has taken place with local authorities, partner organisations and local communities affected by the potential re-location from Ladgate Lane.
Community Safety Hub
The Police & Crime Commissioner and the Chief Constable seek to deliver on their shared strategic aim of ensuring better links between agencies.
Aims also include making the best use of resources, demonstrating clear commitment to enhancing community safety services throughout Teesside and innovation in the provision of public services.
The Community Safety Hub will facilitate collaboration across the public sector, in order to support and foster such innovation, meet demand and drive efficiencies, as part of meeting the challenge of funding constraints.
With that in mind, the concept of the Community Safety Hub, with the flexibility to accommodate a diverse range of community safety and criminal justice services, underpins this project.
Conclusions
The case for a new 5,000sqm facility is agreed and supported by the Chief Constable and the Deputy Chief Constable.
It meets the vision of the PCC and Police Force around the operational principles of a Community Safety Hub and the proposed location meets the needs and constraints of the organisation.
The financial case has been provided, reviewed by DTZ, and agreed and supported by the PCC’s CFO. They have concluded that the preferred option will reduce running costs, once built, and will be fully-funded from the sale of the current site.
The project for re-locating from Ladgate Lane has been fully reviewed independently. A business case for the 5,000sqm facility has been proposed.
The case for a new 5,000sqm building is fully supported by operational policing leads, financial leads, independent scrutiny and assessment, and associated stakeholders.
The communities of Cleveland will benefit from investment into regeneration areas and the job creation in the construction of the new facility and the housing development at Ladgate Lane.
Further Information
The Commissioner and the Chief Constable have adopted a Publication Scheme.
It sets out the conditions and timing for the publication of specific documents and details during and after the project.
For example, it would not be commercially sensible to publish details of the full budget for the project before finalising the selection process for providers.
The aim is to deliver to the public the maximum degree of openness and transparency whilst respecting the financial, operational and legal sensitivity of specific information and documentation.