PCD 1827 Canary Wharf dwo

Executive Summary:  

This paper seeks approval to enter into a lease for space in the Canary Wharf area at a nil rent for a proposed neighbourhood police base. The proposal is at a net nil initial cost to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), with the ongoing costs to be funded from within existing budgets. 

Recommendation:  

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Approve entering into a lease arrangement for up to 10 years, subject to a relocation provision after 3-5 years, of the proposed One Canada Square space. 

2. Approve the inward donations with an estimated value above £50k and above in value. 

PART I - NON-CONFIDENTIAL FACTS AND ADVICE TO THE DMPC. 

1. Introduction and background. 

1. Neighbourhood policing is fundamental to the MPS’s commitment to improving trust and confidence in policing and in delivering a communities-first approach. Local teams based close to their communities are best placed to understand and respond to what is most important to their communities. 

2. A New Met for London (NMfL)  commits to investing in Local teams to allow them to reduce neighbourhood crime, have an increased visible presence and increase focus on victims. In addition, a NMfL commits to ensuring all wards within London can be reached within a 20-minute walk time from officers’ bases, 

3. Canary Wharf Ltd have offered to lease the MPS 500sq m of space at One Canada Square to accommodate the Central East DWO’s at  heavily discounted rate (£0 rent) , cover the costs to fit the space out for MPS use, and also to cover around half of the annual running costs for  the MPS to  use the space.  

4. This is an opportunity to secure use of the space in the area to accommodate up to 9 teams in Central East Borough Command Unit (CE BCU) (Blackwall & Cubitt Town and Canary Wharf Enhanced DWO teams). 

2. Issues for consideration. 

1. The proposal would benefit the unique environment of the Canary Wharf estate, which already houses significant international financial and extraction industries and is the proposed site for the biggest life science hub in Europe. More notably for local communities it will deliver a visible policing presence for the wider Isle of Dogs community. 

2. The geographic separation of the peninsula means communities have felt cut-off from policing since the local station closed several years ago and there has been a strong local campaign to have a permanent policing presence return to the location. This proposal would therefore strongly support MPS wider trust and confidence-building activity. 

3. The facility will provide accommodation to support operation needs for up to nine (9) DWO in teams, in CE BCU that are currently based at Bow Police station and are outside of a 20-minute walk of their respective wards due to a lack of suitable MPS properties in the required areas and, offers future opportunities for using the space for wider MPS teams (such as Economic Crime) which  would benefit from being located close to Canary Wharf as a financial centre.   

4. The proposed space would provide capacity for c24 desks, two cellular offices, and separate male and female locker rooms with 42 Lockers (21 Male / 21 Female split) with capacity for additional lockers if required. In addition, Canary Wharf would also provide 2x parking spaces for MPS vehicles. 

3. Financial Comments. 

1. The proposed arrangement is for a lease with no rent costs, no costs to the MPS to fit out the space for use, and Canary Wharf Ltd to cover up to half of annual running costs with the MPS spending only £124k on running costs funded from approved business as usual budgets.  The initial estimated saving to the MPS is £3m rising to £6m saving over 10 years. 

2. No impact on the capital plan. 

4. Legal Comments.  

The MPS Directorate of Legal Services assure that; 

1. In respect of taking a lease that in carrying out its functions, the MOPAC may, under paragraph 7, Schedule 3 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 “do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the exercise of the functions of the Office”. This includes, entering into contracts and other agreements, in addition to acquiring and disposing of property (including land). The MOPAC has the power to renew a lease under paragraph 7(2)(b) of Schedule 3 of the Act. 

2. This proposal seeks approval to accept the lease of property as a donation under s.93 of the Police Act 1996 which states; 

“Acceptance of gifts and loans. 

• A local policing body may, in connection with the discharge of any of its functions, accept gifts of money, and gifts or loans of other property, on such terms as appear to the body to be appropriate. 

• The terms on which gifts or loans are accepted under subsection (1) may include terms providing for the commercial sponsorship of any activity of the local policing body or of the police force maintained by it.” 

3. Clause 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation requires the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime to approve all inward donations of £50k and above in value. 

4. MOPAC can exercise its discretion to lawfully accept the donation in accordance with s.93 of the 1996 Act. 

5. GDPR and Data Privacy.  

1. MOPAC will adhere to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and ensure that any organisations who are commissioned to do work with or on behalf of MOPAC are fully compliant with the policy and understand their GDPR responsibilities. 

2. The MPS assure that the project does not use personally identifiable data of members of the public, so there are no GDPR issues to be considered. 

6. Equality Comments  

1. MOPAC is required to comply with the public sector equality duty set out in section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010. This requires MOPAC to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations by reference to people with protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. 

2. The MPS assure that a site-specific Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) will be undertaken as part of the detailed design process. 

7. Background/supporting papers 

1.  Appendix 1 MPS report - New Canary Wharf DWO Base.