Merseyside Police £48m hub tops out

Contractor Willmott Dixon has completed the steel frame of the 137,000 sq ft police headquarters north of Liverpool city centre, which is scheduled to open in September 2021. 

Once complete, the Scotland Road facility is intended to accommodate 1,100 officers. 

Designed by Ryder Architecture, the project will see Merseyside Police relocate from its current Canning Place HQ, built in the 1970s. 

The new hub is expected to save the police force £250,000 a year in running costs, according to Merseyside police commissioner Jane Kennedy.

Kennedy first announced plans to build a modern headquarters for the force in September 2016 as part of her 10-year plan to modernise police stations and facilities.

The eight-acre site, which borders Scotland Road, St Anne Street and the approach road to Kingsway Tunnel, was selected from a shortlist of five sites, which also included Liverpool’s Pall Mall office development, Peel L&P’s Liverpool Waters, Wirral River Streets and Knowsley Community College. 

The socially distanced topping out ceremony took place on Friday

Construction of the facility began last September, with Willmott Dixon adopting strict social distancing practices during the Covid-19 pandemic to enable work to continue. 

Kennedy said: “Canning Place opened its doors in 1977 and it has been a loyal servant for the last 40 years, but, sadly, it is no longer fit for purpose and is very costly to run.  

“The force needs modern facilities and equipment that will make it more effective and efficient. This new headquarters will do just that.”  

Anthony Dillon, managing director of Willmott Dixon in the North, said: “Ensuring the Merseyside Police headquarters are futureproofed for the changing complexities of modern policing is critical.

“This this will be a quality and cost-effective environment to serve officers, PCSOs and staff for years to come.”