Metropolitan Police Authority: Panel established to review development plans for the Metropolitan Police Estate

Celia Prentice on 31 October 2008 at 14:39

Tags: 2008, estate, estate management, metropolitan police authority, mpa, mps, news, press release, press releases,

55/08
31 October 2008

The Metropolitan Police Authority has established a panel of Authority members to review Metropolitan Police Estate development plans, including future community engagement programmes.

Steve O'Connell, Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority Finance and Resources Committee, said:

"The police estate plays a vital role in supporting the delivery of effective and efficient policing for communities across the capital.

"But many of our buildings are quite literally unfit for purpose, constructed in an age when the technologies, transport and working methods we take for granted were undreamed of. The estate must serve everybody's needs - the police need modern facilities to tackle crime, while the public want and deserve a visible presence in their midst to reassure them that the police can respond to crime effectively.

"Plans to modernise police facilities were published at the end of last year and included a three-month consultation period to enable local communities to comment on the proposals. We now recognise that these well-intentioned plans were poorly presented and gave the impression that every borough should conform to an identical, one-size-fits-all plan. This was never the case, as we recognise the size and complexity of some boroughs need far more tailored solutions. Community consultation was also inadequate in some boroughs and failed to engage widely enough.

"Added to these concerns, the current economic climate means that budgets will become increasingly tight and therefore impact on development plans, so while building projects that are already underway will continue, long-term projects need to be reviewed.

"Consequently, the Authority has established an MPA member panel to revisit the plans and provide some clarity between strategy and delivery of the estate modernisation programme, including the issue of meaningful public consultation. The panel will present its findings to the Authority in Spring 2009.

"I want to stress three things to reassure Londoners: no decisions about the police estate in London have been taken; meaningful consultation will take place where communities have raised substantial objections to potential changes; and no buildings with front counter facilities, where people can engage in face to face contact with the police, will be closed without fully operational, improved facilities being opened first."

Notes for Editors

The MPA member panel comprises Graham Speed (independent member) Chairman, Dee Doocey (Assembly member) and Len Duvall (Assembly member). Terms of Reference for the panel will be presented to the next meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee on 20 November.

Further media information

For further information, please contact the MPA press office

Metropolitan police estate: public consultation results published

Celia Prentice on 23 July 2008 at 13:21

Tags: 2008, amp, asset management plan, consultation, estate, estate management, estates management, feedback, mps, news, press release, press releases,

41/08
23 July 2008

The Metropolitan Police Authority today published the findings of a three-month programme of public consultation about the future development of the Metropolitan Police Estate in London.

Plans to modernise police facilities were published for each of the capital’s 32 boroughs last November, followed by a three-month consultation period to enable local communities to comment on the proposals to make the police estate more responsive to everyone’s requirements. It was always intended to publish the results of this public consultation.

Steve O’Connell, chair of the MPA Finance Committee, said:

“The MPA has discussed in public committee the unsatisfactory and limited nature of this previous consultation process. By publishing the results today, we are fulfilling our intention to make the results available to our communities.

“Our future plans to develop the Metropolitan Police Estate will require us to talk more directly with local communities. We need Londoners to understand what services operate from our buildings, more broadly how the police work in the boroughs and how the built estate supports this. Only by providing this information can communities to take part in an informed, constructive dialogue.

“Over the summer period we are looking at the whole estate strategy, including the development plans that were consulted on, as part of the overall budget process. This will be an opportunity to explore how communities can become further involved to ensure we move forward in a way that will satisfy everyone’s requirements.

“I want to stress once again that nothing will be done in haste and no decisions about the police estate in London have been taken.”

Notes to editors

1. The MPA has responsibility for all the buildings used by the Metropolitan Police in London and we recognise the vital role the estate plays in supporting the delivery of effective and efficient policing across the capital. The Authority is acutely aware that the estate is ageing - approximately 35% of the buildings pre-dating 1935 - and many buildings are inappropriately located for today’s communities. To deliver an excellent police service, our buildings have to meet both today’s requirements as well as our future demands. Simply upgrading or renewing individual parts of the estate is no longer an option and there is an urgent need for major change.

2. The results of the public consultation for the Asset Management Plan (AMP) for each borough, are available to view on the MPA website at: www.mpa.gov.uk/issues/estate/default.htm#amp

Further media information

For further information, please contact the MPA press office

MPA: Public consultation on development of the Metropolitan Police estate debated

Celia Prentice on 4 July 2008 at 15:00

Tags: 2008, amp, asset management plan, estate, mps, news, press release, press releases,

37/08
04 July 2008

The findings of a three-month programme of public consultation on future development of the Metropolitan Police Estate in London was discussed by members of the Metropolitan Police Authority at a meeting of the Authority's Co-ordination and Policing Committee on Thursday 4 July 2008.

Plans to modernise police facilities were published for each of the capital's 32 boroughs last November followed by a three-month consultation period to enable local communities to comment on proposals to make the police estate more responsive to everyone's requirements.

Steve O'Connell, chair of the MPA Finance Committee, said

"The MPA and the Met consulted with local communities about the future of the police estate but there were limitations to the process which we all recognise. The results we did get have illustrated that our communities need more information, about how the services provided in their name operate, in order to understand how they need to develop and change to improve. But it also highlighted considerable opposition in some areas to the removal of local  police facilities, specifically iconic police stations.

"The police estate in London should serve everybody's needs; the police need modern facilities to enable them to tackle crime effectively, while the public want and deserve a visible presence in their midst to reassure them that the police can respond to crime quickly.

"As part of the overall budget process which will be conducted over the summer period, we will be looking urgently at the estate strategy, including the development plans that were consulted on. This will be an opportunity to explore how communities can become further involved to ensure we move forward in a way that will satisfy everyone's requirements.

"As Kit Malthouse, first deputy chair of the MPA and deputy mayor for policing, has confirmed, nothing will be done in haste and no decisions have yet been taken."

Notes to Editors

1. The MPA has responsibility for all the buildings used by the Metropolitan Police in London and we recognise the vital role the estate plays in supporting the delivery of effective and efficient policing across the capital. The Authority is acutely aware that the estate is ageing - approximately 35% of the buildings pre-dating 1935 - and many buildings are inappropriately located for today's communities. To deliver an excellent police service, our buildings have to meet both today's requirements as well as our future demands. Simply upgrading or renewing individual parts of the estate is no longer an option and there is an urgent need for major change.

2. The Asset Management Plan (AMP) for each borough outlines the local strategy to improve facilities, including the provision of front counters, patrol bases, custody centres, Safer Neighbourhoods team bases and office accommodation, as well as ensuring the buildings are fully accessible in line with legislation. They are available to view on the MPA website at:  http://www.mpa.gov.uk/issues/estate/default.htm#amp

3. The report 'MPA/MPS Asset Management Plan Public Consultation Feedback' is available on the MPA website at: http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/cop/2008/080704/04.htm

Further media information

For further information, please contact the MPA press office

MPA Statement: future development of the Metropolitan Police estate

Celia Prentice on 12 June 2008 at 16:44

Tags: 2008, estate, mps, news, press release, press releases, property,

31/08
12 June 2008

Commenting on future development of the Metropolitan Police Estate, Aneeta Prem, Metropolitan Police Authority lead for estate issues, said:

“Central to our strategy is making policing more accessible to the public and based in local communities. We are working with the new Mayor and his administration to ensure that the estate serves everybody’s needs.

“As the largest single employer in London, the unprecedented growth in police numbers over the past few years has placed new demands on space and facilities. As a result, the Metropolitan Police Authority is implementing a major improvement programme to provide better alternatives for modern community focused policing so that we can continue to deliver an effective service.

“Local strategies to improve facilities, providing more accessible accommodation for both our staff and the public who need to contact the police, have been published for each of London’s 32 boroughs and local communities have been involved in consultation exercises led by borough commanders.

“We are acutely aware of the strength of feeling local communities have for easily accessible police facilities and are carefully considering the views received following the consultations before producing revised strategies. As Kit Malthouse, the deputy mayor for policing and first deputy chair of the MPA has said, nothing will be done in haste and no decisions have yet been taken.”

In conclusion, Aneeta said:

“We have made a clear commitment not to close a single front counter without an improved, fully operational replacement facility up and running. The provision of police services will never be jeopardised.”

Further media information

For further information, please contact the MPA press office

London's communities to be consulted over new strategy to modernise police facilities

David Lenton on 30 November 2007 at 12:49

Tags: estate, mpa, mps,

63/07
30 November 2007

The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) and Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are undertaking a major improvement programme for the Metropolitan Police estate.

An Asset Management Plan (AMP) for each borough will outline the local strategy to improve facilities, including the provision of front counters, patrol bases, custody centres, Safer Neighbourhoods team bases, and office accommodation, as well as ensuring the buildings are fully accessible in line with legislation. A significant feature of the AMPs, which aim to explain the changes and how they will directly benefit policing, will be a period of local consultation, actively seeking feedback form the community.

Aneeta Prem, lead member for estates issues for the Metropolitan Police Authority, said:

"Effective policing cannot be delivered without the right property to operate

from. The MPA places great value on modernising the estate to provide the best possible facilities that will enable our police service to respond to the urgent needs of Londoners.

"The Authority is crucially aware of the importance communities attach to local police facilities and the need to communicate prospective changes. The Asset Management Plans (AMP) that will be rolled out in every borough in the coming months are specifically intended as consultation tools and will ask Londoners specific questions about facilities in their area and what can be done to improve these.

"Each borough AMP outlines the key themes which we want stakeholders and the local community to express their views on. This period of consultation will last three months following publication of the AMP, the process to be led by the borough commander. Once the community's views have been collected, the Met will then carefully consider the comments to help inform a revised version of the document and implement change to improve policing in the borough.

"It is the first time this has been done in London and is an exciting opportunity for Londoners to help us make the police service better. We firmly believe we need to engage with Londoners to explain the enormous benefits of the changes we propose and win their support for a better, more effective police service for everyone across the entire capital."

Significant improvements to the estate have been made since the MPA published 'Building Towards The Safest City' in 2003 setting out the need for modernisation. However, many buildings pre-date 1940, are not suitable for modern working practices, are expensive to run and inefficient. Police numbers have also grown substantially in recent years, which together with the roll out of the Safer Neighbourhoods initiative across each of the 32 boroughs, has placed extra demands on space and facilities.

The estate must adapt to meet these and other emerging challenges to ensure it is fit for use and provides the best possible environment for police officers and staff to respond to Londoners' needs.

The Property for Policing Programme sets out to deliver more effective policing by:

• Ensuring the public has accessible and friendly police facilities in the heart of local communities, closer to crime hotspots and compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act. More Safer Neighbourhoods' team bases will open within local communities, bringing the police closer to the public.
• Providing a single Custody Centre in most boroughs. This will create 30 to 40 custody cells in one place, with all the appropriate facilities required on one site. This will provide safe and modern facilities for employees and detainees and free up officers' time for front-line duties.
• Building new Patrol Bases in easily accessible locations, where we can. This will speed up response times and enable officers to spend more time patrolling the streets.
• Creating more space to accommodate growing numbers of officers and staff within the MPS. This will involve refurbishing some facilities, relocating or replacing others and opening new accommodation.
• Providing modern working conditions for our officers and staff and so increasing their productivity.

Notes to Editors

• Borough Asset Management Plans are available as they are completed for publication on the MPA website:
  www.mpa.gov.uk/issues/estate/default.htm 
• They are also available under each individual borough's webpage on the MPS website:
  www.met.police.uk/  [borough name]
   

Further media information

For further information, please contact the MPA press office