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New Police Estates Strategy LaunchedPublished 18/09/2017
An operationally effective and cost effective new Estates Strategy has been launched in Hertfordshire by the Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable which will support local policing and help provide accessible joined –up services.
Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd says: “In recent years we have achieved new stations in Hatfield and Hertford, refurbished Stevenage and Cheshunt and co-located local policing and local authority teams in Rickmansworth, Borehamwood and St Albans. I am determined to further improve the police estate to provide efficient and accessible policing for the county, as well as gaining the best long term income generation from surplus buildings to support the cost of delivering high quality local policing.
Key aims of the strategy will be to:
- Develop the co-location of police and other public services where possible;
- Improve the accessibility of operational police to the public and build on the electronic access to police services;
- Make efficient use of the surplus police estate to generate long term income to help fund policing.
A key part of the plan will be the redevelopment of the County HQ site in Welwyn Garden City. Many buildings on the site are old, inefficient and have high maintenance and running costs. Redevelopment of these buildings will provide considerable savings through reduced running costs that will offset building costs.
Chief Constable Charlie Hall, says: ”Operational effectiveness and efficiency are at the heart of this strategy to help keep crime low and focus on victims. It also maintains a distinct and clearly identifiable police base in line with our ten local authority partnership boundaries to help support our local safer neighbourhood policing teams.”
The impact of social media and the public’s desire to access online services has not been overlooked by the strategy. Charlie Hall continues: “There have been significant developments in digital public contact to assist communication between the police and public and through our website people can access many services – including reporting crimes, collisions and anti-social driving and even take part in web chats. These services are what many people expect to be able to do online, but they are not intended to replace face to face interaction or telephone contact as many people still want to contact the police by traditional means. Stations that do not have a front enquiry office are still fully operational and the under the new strategy public are able to attend a police station and speak to a police officer as long as they have phoned ahead to make an appointment.”
Local Impact
Broxbourne
The Police Station at Cheshunt was refurbished in 2016 and this remains the operational base for local policing. Opportunities to provide further local bases with partners or new co-located stations will be explored should the opportunity arise.
The surplus old Hoddesdon site. The aim is to progress the residential development of the Hoddesdon site either in conjunction with Broxbourne Council and their subsidiary housing company Badger Housing or an alternative developer partner to generate a long term income to support local policing.
Dacorum
Local policing bases in Tring and Berkhamsted remain, though opportunities to provide further local bases with partners or new co-located stations will be explored should the opportunity arise.
Hemel Hempstead Police station to remain in current location and be refurbished to bring it up to date.
East Herts
Hertford, Bishops Stortford and Buntingford bases to remain, though opportunities to provide further local bases with partners or new co-located stations will be explored should the opportunity arise.
Hertsmere
Borehamwood Police station co-located in the Civic Offices to remain. Opportunities to provide further local bases with partners will be explored should the opportunity arise.
Old surplus Borehamwood police site:
The aim to progress the opportunity to pursue a joint public sector residential development with a private sector developer to generate a long term income to support local policing.
North Herts
Hitchin, Letchworth and Royston stations currently to remain though opportunities to provide further local bases with partners or new co-located stations will be explored should the opportunity arise.
St Albans
St Albans police station currently co-located with the Civic Offices and Harpenden Police Station to remain.
Old surplus St Albans site – We are currently discussing terms for the site’s residential redevelopment in partnership with St Albans District Council to generate a long term income to support local policing.
Stevenage
Police station and custody unit to remain.
Three Rivers
Police station currently co-located with civic offices in Rickmansworth to remain.
Police stations in Abbots Langley and South Oxhey to remain though opportunities to provide further local bases with partners or new co-located stations will be explored should the opportunity arise.
Watford
To develop a new police station base for Watford where possible co-located with partners whilst considering the acquisition of the redundant Courts site to enhance the potential and value of the Police site and progress with a mixed use commercial and office development in partnership with a private developer to generate a long term income to support local policing.
Welwyn Hatfield
Police station and custody unit in Hatfield to remain.
Welwyn Garden City Safer Neighbourhood base to remain.
Older inefficient, costly buildings at County Police HQ on Stanborough Road to be replaced to develop site further as a centre of excellence for leadership, collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation and to explore options for investment, development and income generation
Custody Suites
The two main custody suites at Hatfield and Stevenage to be retained with on-going work to explore longer term requirements linked to projected demand, the impact of population demographics and explore collaboration with neighbouring forces.
Collaboration
Hertfordshire maintains its commitment to collaboration with other police forces and partner and the estate strategy will reflect this commitment to triforce units we have with Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire and the regional units such as the Eastern Region Serious Organised Crime Unit. The National Specialist Capabilities Review will inform the estate requirements at force and regional level.
The current Business case for the change in governance to the Fire and Rescue Services in Hertfordshire will also explore collaboration and estates efficiency gains.
Hertfordshire Police Estate Key Facts
37 police stations/police offices
A total floor area of 60,000 m2
Space utilisation of 18 m2/fte compared with the national police average of 22 m2/fte.
Headquarters complex occupies 30% of the total force area (18,500m2)
Over 8,000 m2 of Headquarters is used by specialist functions, including the force control room, scientific services and fleet.
Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd says: “In recent years we have achieved new stations in Hatfield and Hertford, refurbished Stevenage and Cheshunt and co-located local policing and local authority teams in Rickmansworth, Borehamwood and St Albans. I am determined to further improve the police estate to provide efficient and accessible policing for the county, as well as gaining the best long term income generation from surplus buildings to support the cost of delivering high quality local policing.
Key aims of the strategy will be to:
- Develop the co-location of police and other public services where possible;
- Improve the accessibility of operational police to the public and build on the electronic access to police services;
- Make efficient use of the surplus police estate to generate long term income to help fund policing.
A key part of the plan will be the redevelopment of the County HQ site in Welwyn Garden City. Many buildings on the site are old, inefficient and have high maintenance and running costs. Redevelopment of these buildings will provide considerable savings through reduced running costs that will offset building costs.
Chief Constable Charlie Hall, says: ”Operational effectiveness and efficiency are at the heart of this strategy to help keep crime low and focus on victims. It also maintains a distinct and clearly identifiable police base in line with our ten local authority partnership boundaries to help support our local safer neighbourhood policing teams.”
The impact of social media and the public’s desire to access online services has not been overlooked by the strategy. Charlie Hall continues: “There have been significant developments in digital public contact to assist communication between the police and public and through our website people can access many services – including reporting crimes, collisions and anti-social driving and even take part in web chats. These services are what many people expect to be able to do online, but they are not intended to replace face to face interaction or telephone contact as many people still want to contact the police by traditional means. Stations that do not have a front enquiry office are still fully operational and the under the new strategy public are able to attend a police station and speak to a police officer as long as they have phoned ahead to make an appointment.”
Local Impact
Broxbourne
The Police Station at Cheshunt was refurbished in 2016 and this remains the operational base for local policing. Opportunities to provide further local bases with partners or new co-located stations will be explored should the opportunity arise.
The surplus old Hoddesdon site. The aim is to progress the residential development of the Hoddesdon site either in conjunction with Broxbourne Council and their subsidiary housing company Badger Housing or an alternative developer partner to generate a long term income to support local policing.
Dacorum
Local policing bases in Tring and Berkhamsted remain, though opportunities to provide further local bases with partners or new co-located stations will be explored should the opportunity arise.
Hemel Hempstead Police station to remain in current location and be refurbished to bring it up to date.
East Herts
Hertford, Bishops Stortford and Buntingford bases to remain, though opportunities to provide further local bases with partners or new co-located stations will be explored should the opportunity arise.
Hertsmere
Borehamwood Police station co-located in the Civic Offices to remain. Opportunities to provide further local bases with partners will be explored should the opportunity arise.
Old surplus Borehamwood police site:
The aim to progress the opportunity to pursue a joint public sector residential development with a private sector developer to generate a long term income to support local policing.
North Herts
Hitchin, Letchworth and Royston stations currently to remain though opportunities to provide further local bases with partners or new co-located stations will be explored should the opportunity arise.
St Albans
St Albans police station currently co-located with the Civic Offices and Harpenden Police Station to remain.
Old surplus St Albans site – We are currently discussing terms for the site’s residential redevelopment in partnership with St Albans District Council to generate a long term income to support local policing.
Stevenage
Police station and custody unit to remain.
Three Rivers
Police station currently co-located with civic offices in Rickmansworth to remain.
Police stations in Abbots Langley and South Oxhey to remain though opportunities to provide further local bases with partners or new co-located stations will be explored should the opportunity arise.
Watford
To develop a new police station base for Watford where possible co-located with partners whilst considering the acquisition of the redundant Courts site to enhance the potential and value of the Police site and progress with a mixed use commercial and office development in partnership with a private developer to generate a long term income to support local policing.
Welwyn Hatfield
Police station and custody unit in Hatfield to remain.
Welwyn Garden City Safer Neighbourhood base to remain.
Older inefficient, costly buildings at County Police HQ on Stanborough Road to be replaced to develop site further as a centre of excellence for leadership, collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation and to explore options for investment, development and income generation
Custody Suites
The two main custody suites at Hatfield and Stevenage to be retained with on-going work to explore longer term requirements linked to projected demand, the impact of population demographics and explore collaboration with neighbouring forces.
Collaboration
Hertfordshire maintains its commitment to collaboration with other police forces and partner and the estate strategy will reflect this commitment to triforce units we have with Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire and the regional units such as the Eastern Region Serious Organised Crime Unit. The National Specialist Capabilities Review will inform the estate requirements at force and regional level.
The current Business case for the change in governance to the Fire and Rescue Services in Hertfordshire will also explore collaboration and estates efficiency gains.
Hertfordshire Police Estate Key Facts
37 police stations/police offices
A total floor area of 60,000 m2
Space utilisation of 18 m2/fte compared with the national police average of 22 m2/fte.
Headquarters complex occupies 30% of the total force area (18,500m2)
Over 8,000 m2 of Headquarters is used by specialist functions, including the force control room, scientific services and fleet.
