Willmott Dixon is continuing work on a £24 million police headquarters (HQ) for Lancashire Constabulary.

The three-storey building has reached the topping out stage of its development and work is on schedule to be completed by 2018.

Pick Everard is providing project management, quantity surveying and NEC supervisor services for the development, as well as working alongside multi-disciplinary designer McBains Cooper.

The new facility located close to the M55 on Clifton Road will focus around open plan workspaces with large light wells and floating staircases. It has also been designed to meet the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREAM) 'Very Good' standard.


Overall, the HQ will provide a base for local policing and immediate response teams as well as housing a public enquiry desk, investigations hub and 42 custody cells. A range of specialist teams to serve the whole division will also be housed at the facility.

Anthony Dillon, Willmott Dixon managing director for the North, said: "We have taken our learning from other police force projects we've been involved in and applied our experience here.

"Through the contract with the Police and Crime Commissioner's Office we are also ensuring that the work carried out benefits the local economy and have set a target that 75 per cent of the project spend will be with local SMEs, with 20 per cent spend coming from companies located within a ten mile radius, rising to 75 per cent spend within 40 miles."

Jon Parry, regional director at Pick Everard, said: "The topping out ceremony has marked an important milestone for this project and we are excited to have reached this point in the scheme, which will provide state-of-the-art facilities for Lancashire Constabulary."

PCC Clive Grunshaw, added: "The new headquarters will no doubt be a landmark building once complete and it’s exciting to see it take shape."

(LM)