Agenda item

To consider a presentation on the Commissioner’s revised Estates Strategy.

Members received a presentation from the Commissioner, Interim Chief Executive and Estates Director of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner on the review undertaken of the Estate strategy, as well as progress since the Panel’s previous update in April 2017 (see Item 11 in the Minute Book)..

The Panel heard that the review of the Estates strategy had ended in evolution rather than revolution, with the aim of this work being to ensure that the priorities are still valid and appropriate, and that it met the needs of the Police and Crime Plan in terms of enabling operational delivery. In addition, the review was a sense check of whether the finances associated with the programme were still valid. The Commissioner was pleased to report that the answers to all of these questions was a firm ‘yes’, and therefore the projects ongoing would continue, with minor tweaks made.

An overview of the changes made to date was shown, with a large percentage of moves being into co-located public sector spaces. The Basingstoke Police Investigation Centre (PIC) had been completed on time and on budget, and feedback from it had been very positive. The lessons learnt from this build and design could now be applied to the Portsmouth PIC, which had now been granted planning permission. A construction company for this development had been appointed, and it was hoped that work would start in the Autumn, with a view to finish in Spring 2019.

The slides set out a number of changes across the various geographies of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with the programme expected to take a further two to three years. Many of the refurbishments were aimed to improve morale and wellbeing in police buildings, renovating office space and adding facilities that assisted staff to undertake their roles to the best of their ability. The Estates Director was content to discuss with Members any specific concerns relating to their geographies. Specifically, it was heard that:

·      In Aldershot, lots of conversations were ongoing in terms of a suitable site. In the interim, the aim was to undertake some light refurbishments.

·      In Yateley, the plan was to sell and re-provide an alternative location. This building was a large facility, but there was a disproportionate number of officers based there.

·      There were ongoing conversations with the Leader of Fareham Borough Council as to how to select a site that had the right balance of being an appropriate community site with footfall, and a building that would meet the operational needs of the police.

·      In Portsmouth, the Central and Fratton stations would be closed once the PIC was completed (with all teams moving to this site), and these buildings would be disposed of. These sites would remain active until this time. The Cosham team may potentially be placed in the dockyard, with discussions ongoing.

In response to questions, Members heard:

·         That there is a Constabulary ‘front desk strategy’ which considers how the public can access the police in this way, and the differing ways to provide this service.

·         Police buildings that are publically accessible should be sited in locations where there is community access and an appropriate level of footfall.

·         There would be pilots ongoing between the Autumn and Spring looking at modern ways of providing accessible policing, such as through an improved 101 helpline and online access.

·         The PIC in Southampton had previously experienced some issues with water leaks, but the building was not subject to subsidence; local reports on this were inaccurate.

·         Police estate would only be sold if the market rate could be achieved or bettered.

·         The Commissioner was in agreement that there would need to be a public engagement exercise relating to the changing ways of accessing police services, in addition to work with partners.

·         A review had been carried out post-Grenfell to understand if any cladding was in place on police buildings, and these had shown that only one site was affected (the Northern PIC), which has a metal skinned cladding with an inner foam. The building was low rise, with little sleeping risk, and has been fitted with sprinklers in cell blocks and multiple escape routes and staircases. Additionally, it was under close surveillance 24/7 due to the nature of the site. There would therefore be little benefit in removing or replacing the cladding, as there was a low risk of fire. All police estate across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight met fire regulations, and all of the outcomes of completed reviews had been referred to the Home Office.

·         Hampshire County Council provides the maintenance contract for the police estate, and there was a full programme of works in place to ensure that buildings are not allowed to degrade after renovations.

It was agreed that the contact details for the Estate Director be forwarded to the Panel.

RESOLVED:

That the update is noted.