Consortium secures multi-million police contract
A CONSORTIUM led by Interserve has signed a £150m contract to build two new headquarters and a training base for West Yorkshire Police.
Interserve and Equitix, a partner in the consortium, will each invest £4.3m in the project as part of the deal with the West Yorkshire Police Authority.
The two “divisional headquarters” will be built in Leeds and Normanton while the training base will be added to an existing police operation in Wakefield.
Adrian Ringrose, chief executive of Interserve, said: “These police facilities represent a key element of regional infrastructure, so we’re obviously proud the Authority has entrusted Interserve with creating and supporting them.
“We’re already heavily involved in the region, having worked here for many years. We’ve built facilities such as the Winter Gardens in Sheffield and the flood defences in Ripon, and we have a 10-year strategic partnership with Leeds City Council through which we’re constructing and managing a number of schools and other amenities.”
The contract will see the consortium construct the new facilities at a cost of around £100m and then manage them for 25 years costing £50m.
The Wakefield base will include facilities for firearms, driver and public order training.
A West Yorkshire Police Authority spokesman said: “The construction and operation of these new facilities will provide a timely boost for the local economy.
“At least 85% of subcontracts will be awarded to local companies, and at least 65 per cent of construction staff will live locally.
“Interserve has also made detailed commitments to support skills and training for young people, including a firm commitment to support 85 young people across West Yorkshire to access apprenticeships.”
