Willmott Dixon is set to extend its order book for blue-light facilities after being selected to build a new headquarters for Merseyside Police Force and new Control Suite for West Midlands Police
The new headquarters for Merseyside Police Force will see Willmott Dixon construct a 12,800 m2 facility on St Anne’s Street in Liverpool to create four storeys of modern office space for up to 1,175 people. Willmott Dixon has been working closely with Merseyside Police Force since 2015 to get its blue-light facilities through planning and into the construction phase.
For West Midlands Police, Willmott Dixon will deliver a new Control Suite that involves demolishing an existing firearms building and replacing it with a 6,536 m2 four-storey building that includes a command and control unit.
Both schemes were procured through Scape Group frameworks, with Merseyside via the National Major Works framework.
These latest contracts underline Willmott Dixon’s presence as a constructor of blue-light facilities and custodial facilities, with the company responsible for schemes worth over £150m in the last two years as emergency forces make better use of their property to become more efficient.
Talking about the West Midlands scheme, Dan Doyle, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “We are delighted to be creating an important new hub for West Midlands Police. Throughout the project, we will be investing time and resources equivalent to £2.4m into community activities and delivering an enrichment programme with local schools giving students real-world understanding of career opportunities available to them in the construction industry.”
Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive, commented: “The government has pledged 20,000 new police recruits over the next three years, therefore we must ensure that the facilities available are both fit for purpose and future-proofed for this rapid expansion of officer numbers.
“By harnessing the extensive experience Scape and Willmott Dixon have in working with police authorities, Merseyside and West Midlands Police Forces can be confident that their projects will be delivered with dedicated expertise and a full commitment to ensure that taxpayers money is spent efficiently and locally.”
