Trenchard House, Soho – sale announced

93/04
10 December 2004

The Metropolitan Police Authority announced today that it has sold Trenchard House, Soho, to the national regeneration agency, English Partnerships.

Trenchard House, a former police section house, provided accommodation for single officers in central London, but has been unoccupied since 1999 when it became evident that the accommodation offered was no longer fit for purpose.

Murad Qureshi, MPA member leading on estate issues, said:

“The MPA estate strategy, ‘Building Towards the Safest City’, aims to provide officers and staff with working and residential conditions that are appropriate to their needs. Trenchard House quite evidently did not do this.

“We did however recognise that Trenchard House occupies a prime site in a conservation area of Soho. Consequently the Authority was keen that any purchaser should meet the conditions set down by Westminster Planning Authority and include elements of social housing to support the local community.

“For these reasons the sale has been a long process but we are satisfied that English Partnerships qualify on all counts and their proposed redevelopment of the building will brings positive benefits to the area.”

English Partnerships is expected to include the property in the portfolio of sites for its London Wide Initiative (LWI). The first pilot phase of the LWI aims to deliver up to 4,000 homes in the capital, more than half of which will be affordable homes for sale, for groups such as key workers and first time buyers.

Notes to editors

1. For further information about English Partnerships please contact Anne Kerin at English Partnerships on 01908 353656.

2. Trenchard House was purpose built in the 1930’s to provide individuals with single rooms, with shared bathroom/shower facilities. Ancillary facilities to the building included catering, bar and common room areas, squash courts and gymnasium facilities, as well as laundry facilities.

3. Overall responsibility for the Metropolitan Police estate is vested in the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), the statutory organisation responsible for ensuring an efficient and effective police service for London.

4. The MPA has a statutory duty to achieve best value for property sold, as advised by the District Auditor. Receipts realised from disposals are reinvested in the police estate.

5. Day-to-day management of the police estate is delegated by the MPA to the Metropolitan Police Service’s Property Services Department. The estate comprises over 600 operational buildings and 1116 residential properties, used by 42,000 police officers and staff, and is valued at c£1.7billion. The MPA Estates Strategy is detailed in the strategy documents ‘Building Towards the Safest City’. Copies are available on this website at: www.mpa.gov.uk/downloads/estate/buildings.pdf

6. English Partnerships is the government’s national regeneration agency delivering high quality, sustainable growth in England. It does this by developing its portfolio of strategic sites and acting as the government’s advisor on brownfield land. It also ensures that surplus public sector assets are used to support wider government objectives, especially those contained in the Sustainable Communities Plan. English Partnerships helps create communities where people can afford to live and want to live. Information on projects and programmes including the London Wide Initiative can be found at www.englishpartnerships.co.uk.

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