Approval for joint police and fire HQ in Derbyshire

Approval has been given for a new shared police and fire service headquarters in Derbyshire that should be ready for occupation in 2017.

It will be constructed on the site of the current police headquarters’ in Ripley and will be managed through a joint police and fire partnership.

Derbyshire police and crime commissioner (PCC) Alan Charles and his strategic governance board gave the go-ahead for the joint proposal last week following earlier agreement by Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Authority (DFRA).

Site preparation will begin in early 2015 with the building expected to be completed by December.

Tendering for the building’s major contract will take place in January and February 2015. The new building is projected to be operational by the end of February 2017.

The headquarters is being partly funded by a £1.5 million government Transformation Grant awarded to the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS). Mr Charles will also be applying for funding through the Home Office Innovation Fund.

A new partnership board will comprise representatives from the Office of the PCC, Derbyshire Constabulary, DFRS and DFRA. Police and fire services will have equal rights on the board.

Both services have agreed that staff carrying out similar functions will work alongside each other, enabling them to share best practice and access to each other`s expertise when situations require.

Mr Charles said he was delighted the building was becoming reality.

“We really had to do something radical as two of our existing police buildings at the headquarters at Ripley are coming to the end of their useful life,” he said.

“Through true partnership working, our two critical emergency services have been closely involved working side-by-side in planning a tailor-made headquarters to suit both our future needs.

“Sharing headquarters with the fire and rescue service in this way will allow both our organisations to adapt more easily to change and improve our ways of working, including making best use of technological advancements that are so important to efficiency.”

Derbyshire Constabulary Chief Constable Mick Creedon added: “This is a massive investment but one that is needed for the long-term efficiency of our two organisations. Our prudent financial planning has enabled us to set aside money that will meet a large share of the costs of the new building. It will also play a part in helping us to deliver future savings to help balance our budget in the future.”

Chair of DFRA, Councillor Roland Hosker, said the move will allow DFRS and Derbyshire Constabulary to deliver further financial efficiencies, as well as protecting and enhancing community safety.

“This joint project will see the delivery of a modern, bespoke joint headquarters that will enable greater collaboration between our two organisations to improve both interoperability and efficiency,” he said.