- Deal secured through joined up approach by London Government – MOPAC, GLA, London Borough of Barnet, MPS and TfL
- New neighbourhood to be created in Colindale with more than 1,650 new homes for London
- First site to be successfully released through the Mayor’s London Development Panel
The Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) today announced Redrow as the preferred bidder to purchase land not required for policing operational needs and regenerate the historic police training centre site at Hendon.
Following a successful three month procurement process, the first through the Mayor’s London Development Panel, Redrow will now work with the London Borough of Barnet to develop its plans further. It is anticipated that a planning application will be submitted for the site in the first half of next year, following a public consultation.
The deal will enable MOPAC to invest in the development of a brand new, world-class police training and operational facility which will be located on a smaller part of the site which MOPAC is retaining for MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) operational use. Work on this part of the site is due to start early next year, replacing the current outdated and underused buildings with brand new facilities to meet the needs of modern policing.
The 22ha site is already identified for regeneration by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and by the London Borough of Barnet as a part of its ‘Colindale Area Action Plan’. Redrow’s plans will help create a thriving new neighbourhood with more than 1,650 new homes, cycle routes, retail units and a primary school and nursery, as well as a substantial amount of green open space.
Stephen Greenhalgh, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said: “This new deal is great news for all involved. Not only will it create a thriving new neighbourhood complete with jobs, homes, schools and parks but it will also secure the future of Hendon’s iconic Peel Centre as one of the best police training grounds in the world. This deal is a key plank of our plan to slim down and modernise the Met estate whilst allowing us to reinvest the sale proceeds into frontline policing. Savings from the redevelopment of Hendon will help us keep officer numbers high and deliver police buildings and infrastructure that are fit for the twenty-first century.”
Jane Bond, Director of Property Services for the Metropolitan Police, said: “This is a fantastic result for all parties involved. We have secured the best possible deal for the site that will deliver much-needed new homes for Barnet and London whilst retaining sufficient land with funding to provide new policing facilities on the Hendon estate. The Peel Centre site has a long history and I am delighted that the MPS will continue to train and operate at Hendon. These plans are part of MOPAC’s broader proposals in regard to the provision of policing facilities and a fundamental element in the MOPAC/MPS Estate Strategy.”
Steve Morgan, Chairman of Redrow said: "We are delighted to have secured this strategically important mixed-use project following a comprehensive bidding process which demonstrates our clear commitment to the London market. We now very much look forward to working with key stakeholders, including London Borough of Barnet, the GLA and the local community, to create a new sustainable community that will provide much-needed new homes for the borough".
The Hendon site was the first major scheme to be released through the new London Development Panel which was set up by the Mayor to fast track the disposal of public land to boost construction and housing.
The final scheme will be designed by RIBA Stirling Prize winners Fielden Clegg Bradley, who were responsible for Accordia in Cambridge, the only housing project ever to win the prize.
This sale is part of a wider strategy by MOPAC to dispose of underused land and buildings which will save £60 million in running costs and help the force protect front-line policing – all in line with the 20:20:20 Challenge to cut crime, boost public confidence and cut costs.
Notes to editors
The Peel Centre, founded with the official name of the Metropolitan Police College, was officially opened in 1934 as a training centre for Metropolitan Police cadets. It was rebuilt in 1974 and re-opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
The MOPAC/MPS Estate Strategy was launched in May 2013 and details plans to exit around 300,000 square metres (one third) of MOPAC’s estate over the next three years. This will save £60 million per year on running costs by 2015/16 and a significant amount will be reinvested in the estate and infrastructure to support the frontline and help keep officer numbers high. The plan will also provide up to 950 modern cells to help reduce the time it takes to process people in custody and the sale of up to 200 buildings - the vast majority of which have no public access. The strategy can be found at http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/policing-crime/publications/mopac-mps-estates-strategy
This is the first regeneration project to be offered to the London Development Panel, the group of 25 developers created by the Mayor of London to make the sale of public land in the capital faster, easier and cheaper to landowners by speeding up the procurement process. The panel members have been invited to submit expressions of interest in taking on the development, which could also bring about a complementary redevelopment of Colindale Tube station and improved access to transport.
The London Development Panel (LDP) is a land procurement panel, set up to accelerate the delivery of housing in London by making it faster, easier and cheaper for public land owners to bring forward land for development. It establishes a framework agreement between 25 developers, enabling public land owners, including London’s boroughs and government bodies, to award individual contracts without having to go through a full and expensive procurement process each time. The panel is made up of 25 panel members including developers, house builders and Housing Associations. It was created in May 2013 and has been procured for a four-year period. A full list of the membership can be found at http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housing-land/land-assets/london-development-panel
In July 2013 Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) secured a resolution to grant consent from the London Borough of Barnet for its redevelopment of the Peel Centre site in Colindale. The application will see new training and operational facilities developed fit for 21st century policing. The new facilities will replace the current outdated buildings and make more efficient use of space, housing a similar number of staff to current levels on a much smaller site.