Police work provides boost for contractors
Morgan Sindall Construction has started a £17.6m firearms training facility for Staffordshire Police, while Willmott Dixon has been picked to deliver a £30.5m custody suite in Chesterfield for Derbyshire Constabulary.
WD has been appointed to deliver a 50,916 sq ft custody suite for the Derbyshire force, further strengthening its portfolio of blue light infrastructure projects.
The 36-cell facility suite will be built on Dunston Road in Chesterfield. The project includes associated support accommodation, site-wide ground improvements, drainage, external works and car parking.
Procured through the SCAPE Construction framework, work is scheduled to begin soon with completion by June 2027. The three-storey facility has been designed by Corstorphine & Wright Ltd and will incorporate PV panels.
The firm is in a rich vein of form with emergency services infrastructure, landing work including the £55m redevelopment of Hertfordshire Constabulary’s HQ in Welwyn Garden City and the £18m Pendle Police Station for Lancashire Constabulary in Nelson, both secured earlier this year.
Custody suites have been delivered for West Midlands Police, Newcastle Police, South Yorkshire Police and South Wales Police.
Michelle Cotterill, project director at Willmott Dixon, said: “We are proud to be working with Derbyshire Constabulary to deliver this critical infrastructure. As a company with extensive experience in law-and-order projects, we understand the unique requirements of custody facilities and the importance of creating environments that support both operational efficiency and officer wellbeing.”
MSC’s Midlands business has now begun work on the Staffs project, which the force said will meet training needs for the next 30-40 years.
Procured through the Constructing West Midlands Framework, the scheme will see the demolition of existing buildings initially, with a replacement that will feature a 10-lane, 50m live-fire range and a two-storey training hub.
The project will also include hard and soft landscaping and the installation of a new sub-station. Blue Sky Architects and Appleyard & Trew are on the advisory team.
Ben Adams, the police, fire and crime commissioner for Staffordshire, said: “This is a vital facility for the force, allowing us to train our Authorised Firearms Officers in near-realistic training conditions for the roles we ask them to take on to keep Staffordshire’s communities safe.
“The scheme has been carefully designed to meet the needs of our officers for the next 30-40 years. We’re pleased to have Morgan Sindall on site, and to see the work finally begin.”
