Accommodation for Lambeth Borough Operational Command Unit

Report: 14
Date: 14 September 2001
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report considers the requirements for additional accommodation for Lambeth Borough Operational Command Unit (BOCU). It proposes the acquisition of a leasehold office building to supplement the overcrowded Borough properties with the extension and amelioration of Brixton Police Station. The report also recommends that the site acquired for a divisional Police Station at Clapham is declared surplus and sold to assist in the funding of this proposal.

A. Recommendations

Members are asked to:

1. Approve Investment Appraisal Option (iii) for taking a lease of premises and converting it for the administration and CID functions of the BOCU;
2. Approve the extension and amelioration of Brixton Police Station to form the Borough Operational Headquarters and Charging Centre; and
3. Consider whether the site at 63 Old Town SW4 should be declared surplus to requirements and be sold to assist the funding of this proposal.

B. Supporting information

1. The MPS Resource Allocation Committee (RAC) at its meeting held 14 August 2001 considered a paper which proposed that a lease be taken on a building at Kennington and that Brixton Police Station be extended and ameliorated. The RAC noted the proposal would require additional funding and referred it to the MPS Resource Prioritisation Sub-Committee for consideration against all other MPS priorities for funding.

2. Subsequently, at its meeting on 3 September, the Sub Committee endorsed the proposal and identified funding from within existing resources.

Background

3. Clapham and Streatham Police Stations have both previously been prioritised for replacement and sites acquired for the development of new stations. The Streatham site has since been sold. The Clapham site, at 63 Old Town, Clapham, SW 4, was determined unsuitable as a location for the Borough Headquarters in 2000 and an unsuccessful search for a site or additional building in the Brixton locality undertaken. The nearest suitable building, an existing office block needing substantial refurbishment, is at Kennington.

4. The Clapham site had been identified as a possible call centre location for C3i. However, the preferred locations do not now include Clapham and there being no other requirements for the site it can be declared surplus and sold. This site has not been included as an option to build a new Borough Headquarters, as the Borough Command does not consider the site to be in a suitable location.

Options

The investment appraisal considers six options, to meet the shortfall accommodation in the borough:-

1. The acquisition of a site and construction of a new Borough Headquarters.
2. Constructing a new building for the administration and CID functions on the Lambeth site acquired for a new Clapham Police Station and refurbishment and extension of the existing Brixton Police Station.
3. Leasing a building for administration and CID with amelioration and extension of Brixton Police Station.
4. Acquiring a freehold site to construct an administration and CID building and the amelioration and extension of Brixton Police Station.
5. Acquiring a freehold site in Coldharbour Lane, Brixton to construct a building to maximise the use of the site and supplement this with an additional leasehold acquisition for administration and CID and amelioration and extension of Brixton Police Station.
6. Leasing a building on the Coldharbour Lane site and another building to accommodate administration and CID and ameliorate and extend Brixton Police Station.

Phasing

6. Whilst this appraisal considers the provision of accommodation for an entire new Borough Headquarters, any scheme which retains Brixton Police Station would need to be undertaken in two phases.

7. The work to Brixton Police Station cannot begin until the identification Parade Suite and Stables have been relocated to the new Lewisham Police Station in February 2004. (The ID suite occupies the area needed to extend the custody suite and the stables will need to be demolished to enlarge the yard.)

8. Accommodation is urgently needed to resolve pressure on the existing operational buildings in Lambeth that cannot await the new Lewisham Police Station. The early leasing of the property will address this requirement.

9. The disposal of the surplus buildings (except the Clapham site) under this proposal must await the completion of the Brixton scheme, as they will be required to assist in the decanting of Brixton Police Station during the amelioration works.

10. In the intervening period the surplus accommodation at Otis House is necessary to assist in the decanting of Tintagel House whilst it is refurbished. (FP&BV endorsement July 2001)

Consultation

11. Consultation has taken place with Borough representatives who are satisfied that the leased property/Brixton Police Station amelioration and extension option will meet Borough needs. This view is supported by Assistant Commissioner ‘TP’.

12. The Department of Information has been consulted on running and capital cost of infrastructure and equipment.

13. Finance Department has been consulted. Their concerns focus on affordability as neither capital nor revenue expenditure has been included in the approved programme 2001/02. Depending on the terms of the lease agreed funding will not be required for 2001/02. However the Prioritisation Sub Committee has identified this scheme to proceed at the expense of projects of a lower priority. Funding has been included in the future years’ programme, which has yet to be approved.

C. Financial implications

The costs identified in the Investment Appraisal on the basis of Net Present Value capital cost are as follows:

Proposals for the refurbishment of Brixton Police Station are in preparation and an investment appraisal on the various options will be submitted to the committee in due course. Works to Brixton will be delayed by the lack of capital funds available in the overall programme.

Capital Phasing

Revenue Phasing

The capital receipts are recorded in the exempt paper.

The possibility under the Capital Finance Regulations that the capitalized value of any new lease being entered into will constitute a credit arrangement is being urgently explored. If applicable, this value would notionally score against the Authority’s capital allocation reducing the amount of the available capital programme. The view of the District Auditor will be sought.

The comparative benefits of retaining Clapham police station against constructing a new sector base on part of the Old Town site are under review and will be included in a separate paper in due course.

D. Background papers

Investment Appraisal (Commercially confidential)- Copies are available from MPA Library or PSD Contact Graham Douglas, Tel No 020 7230 8268.

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Trevor Lawrence, Director Property Services Department 020 7230 8370

For information contact:

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

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