New building includes one of the UKs largest custody suites with innovative design to provide more secure environment for officers and those in custody
The first opportunity to see the new state-of-the-art Lancashire Constabulary divisional police headquarters in Blackpool, Lancashire comes as new images of the building, which has just reached completion, are released today.
The facility – which sits on a 10,000 square metre site on the outskirts of Blackpool, near the M55 motorway, and designed by leading property and construction consultancy McBains – will serve as the new headquarters for the police force’s West Division, and house one of the largest custody suites in the UK.
Work on the three-story facility, which has cost in excess of £20m, commenced in 2015, with McBains providing architecture, mechanical, electrical, and civil and structural engineering support to the building’s main contractor, Willmott Dixon.
The new facility will replace the West Division’s existing base on Bonny Street, and, courtesy of its design, will provide staff with a more efficient work environment. This has been achieved through subtle design solutions, which reduce floor space and that provide flexibility for the constabulary’s ever-changing operational requirements.
The site’s 42-cell suite exemplifies this. It is housed in a semi-circular precast concrete building and is served with an abundance of natural light. By positioning the main custody desk centrally, with the cell corridors radiating out, the suite also serves to guarantee custody officers a line of sight to each cell corridor. The custody suite, with the natural light and view of each corridor is not only designed to help officers but also improve the well-being of those being held in custody.
The building reached Practical Completion on 19 June 2018, and staff are set to move across from the Bonny Street base in the coming weeks.
Mark Baseby, Director at McBains who oversaw the project, said:
"It's great news for Lancashire Constabulary and the wider community that officers will start moving into the new state of the art headquarters over the next few weeks.
“The external appearance of the building takes its cues from Blackpool and the vibrant seaside environment with the use of colour and form derived from the sea and sand. The internal central atrium space is known as the Promenade.
"The essence of the scheme is the interface of three contrasting building types and fusing them together in an efficient and flexible way. This will provide an improved environment for staff and detainees, while delivering important efficiencies for the force."
Matt Horn, Chief Superintendent of the Lancashire Constabulary, said:
“The new West Division Police Headquarters is a massive improvement to the facilities we had at Bonny Street, which were very dated and simply no longer fit for purpose.
“These new facilities ensure we are well placed to deliver our service to communities, from an operating centre that delivers a modern working environment for our staff who work so hard to keep the area safe.”
Tony Whitehead, Enabler for the Ministry of Justice, who recent visited the new headquarters, said:
“McBains and Willmott Dixon have delivered a building to be proud of – a well-designed and well-constructed police base that effectively combines imaginative concept with careful attention to detail.
“The building represents a step-change in police accommodation, and will surely help strengthen staff well-being, service delivery, and the image of the Lancashire Constabulary in the community.”
