West Division Police HQ - Blackpool

Our experts in the blue-light sector have created a new cutting-edge large scale custody suite in Blackpool, as forces across the country continue to invest millions of pounds in carrying out major overhauls of their estates.

The facility sits on a 110,000 sq ft site on the outskirts of Blackpool, near the M55 motorway, and houses the police force’s West Division, alongside one of the largest custody suites in the UK.

The three-storey building will replace the West Division’s existing base on Bonny Street and covers Blackpool, Fylde, Wyre, Lancaster and Morecambe.

The site’s 42-cell suite is housed in a semi-circular precast concrete building. By positioning the main custody desk centrally, with the cell corridors radiating out, the suite guarantees custody officers a line of sight to each cell corridor.

Fast procurement

The project was procured through the Scape Major Works Framework and designed by McBains Cooper Consultancy. It provides a base for local policing and immediate response teams as well as a public enquiry desk, investigations hub and 42 custody cells. The office facilities have been designed around the need to quickly accommodate change within an evolving police force as well as minimising on-going operational expenditure.

The project also provided extensive parking with approximately 500 spaces together along with a 60 metre communication mast.

Chief Supt Stuart Noble, Divisional Commander for Lancashire Constabulary’s West Division, said:

“The new building will see a massive improvement to our working environment, providing vital support to officers and staff who deliver frontline services to keep the area safe. This is a milestone moment for policing in Blackpool – one which we feel will ultimately help us to provide a better quality of service to the public.”

Anthony Dillon, managing director for Willmott Dixon in the North said,

"We are very proud to have been part of creating these new modern facilities for Lancashire Constabulary, providing a much improved environment for officers and the community."

This is just one of a series of custody suites Willmott Dixon is responsible for building as police forces invest in larger custody suites to create better working environments for staff and detainees and provide more efficient use of property.

See more examples of next generation custody suits we've built here.

The new suites replace buildings no longer fit for purpose and are expected to save forces around £1m per year in running costs, allowing funds to be spent elsewhere to safeguard communities.