Wembley police station tender - contract approval

Report: 25
Date: 19 June 2001
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report seeks approval to enter into contracts for the alteration and refurbishment of Wembley Police Station including the formation of a new custody suite and the conversion of Wembley Section House to form a new headquarters and centralised charging centre for the Borough of Brent.

A. Recommendation

Members are asked to agree the recommendation that the contract price negotiated by a two stage tender process with the company identified in the exempt paper is accepted and an extra sum is approved for expenditure on Information Technology and communication infrastructure outside of the contract.

B. Supporting information

1. A business case for the provision of a new headquarters and central charging facility for the Borough of Brent supporting the amalgamation of Wembley and Kilburn Police Divisions under the Borough based policing initiative was prepared by the police users. An investment appraisal concluded that the best value option was the major refurbishment and extension to the existing police station and section house buildings at Wembley.

2. Design work confirmed the choice of the best value option and approval was sought to proceed to tender at an estimated value of £7,370,000 (based on rates current at 1Q2000). The Metropolitan Police Committee granted approval on 22 June 2000, subject to a 5 per cent tender tolerance. Changes to MPS procedures in October 2000 incorporated information technology and communication infrastructure into construction contracts (previously funded separately under Home Office rules) and a sum of £740,000 has been added to the total project cost.

3. New procurement methods based upon "partnering" arrangements under the Governments drive for "achieving excellence" in construction are being achieved through a two-stage tendering process. This enables greater risk to be evaluated at the outset, increasing initial costs but providing greater certainty for out-turn cost and completion date.

Other changes

4. Policy, legislation and design standards changes resulted in amendments to the custody suite, an extension of the technology equipment room (necessitating the upgrade of power supplies, increased cooling and UPS supplies), the upgrading of two lifts for disabled access and an increase in heating capacity.

5. The approved cost needs to reflect price levels current at the date of tender (2Q2001) giving a revised total cost of £9,788,000 (including the Department of Information work).

6. Five contracting companies submitted suitable tenders.

• Bowmer Kirkland
• Keir London
• Wates Construction
• John Mowlem
• Willmott Dixon
• Try Construction

7. The best value evaluation of the tenders considered both the price and quality of partnering responses. The project consultants Stride Tregowan and the quantity surveyor Robinson Lowe Francis, assisted by MPS Property Services Department, carried out the evaluation.

8. The best value tender received falls within the revised cost limit.

C. Financial implications

The revised costs have been re-appraised and the results confirm that the major refurbishment and extension to the existing police station and Section House buildings would still provide the best value option.

Expenditure will be expended mainly over the 86 week contract period, spread over the current and the next two financial years with retention becoming due in 2004/05.

D. Background papers

None.

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Trevor Lawrence, Director of Property Services.

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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