As part of last year’s consultation on the future of policing, we said:

We will also be scrutinising the use of police buildings. There will be opportunities to realise some saving by selling off property, reducing revenue costs and changing how we deliver face-to-face services to the public. However, we will have no detail around this until the structural review is undertaken.

Our approach to the Police Estate involves the following stages:

1.    Estate Review by consultants setting out options for the future

2.    Draft Strategy setting out what we intend to do over the next five years (this document)

3.    Public Consultation on the Draft Strategy

4.    Confirmation of the Estate Strategy (17^th February 2012)

5.    Implementation (which will, where appropriate, involve further consultation including through the planning system).

This draft Strategy sets out the impact on each of the six counties in North Wales, but many of the proposals contained within it are at an early stage. The strategy will be delivered over a period of five years, particularly in relation to some of the major projects and leased premises. Further consultation will take place where appropriate through the planning process.

The Estate Review used the methodology outlined below. The recommendations were based on the needs of the service, including the appropriateness of current buildings and their strategic and operational value. The consultation on this draft Strategy will be launched at the Police Authority meeting on 9^th December and all papers 

will be available on the Authority’s website www.nwalespa.org

Members of the public will be able to express their views on the proposals throughout December 2011 and January 2012. We are asking for views by 1^st February 2012 to allow time for the responses to be analysed before the Authority formally considers the strategy on 17^th February 2012. At this meeting the Authority will take account of the views expressed during the consultation and agree a way forward. A summary of the comments received from the public and stakeholders will be included as part of the meeting papers on the Police Authority website.

Your views

Throughout December and January you will be able to submit your views to us. This is a joint consultation by the Police Force and Police Authority and we have specific addresses for responses and for requests for further information. The email address is consultation@north-wales.police.uk or you can write to us at:

Draft Estate Strategy Consultation, Glan y Don, Colwyn Bay, Conwy LL29 8AW

Arrangements will be made to discuss these proposals with other organisations and your democratically elected or community representatives, including County Councillors. We will be making arrangements to visit specific areas in North Wales to discuss these proposals, and information will be made available on both the Police Force and Police Authority websites. However, if you would like us to discuss these proposed changes with you, your community group or organisation please contact us.

Your views are important to us, and we anticipate that the consultation on the draft Estate Strategy will create a wide public debate.  Please be patient if you do not get an immediate response, we will be aiming to answer all enquires within 5 working days, but we are conscious that we may receive large numbers of enquiries.

For further information on other issues affecting North Wales please visit the Police Authority or Police Force website.

Background

In October 2010 the Chancellor presented the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), which resulted in a reduction of 20% in police funding by 2014-15.

With a view to reducing expenditure in North Wales, work was undertaken to restructure and redesign the way that North Wales Police delivers response, neighbourhood policing, investigation, and both the command and support infrastructure. Following consultation with our communities in December 2010, many of the changes were implemented on 4^th May 2011 and more will continue to occur.

Following the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review the Authority and the Force agreed to commission a review of the policing estate in North Wales. Identifying financial savings was the reason for commissioning the review, as we asked the people of North Wales back in 2010 what they wanted us to prioritise:  people to deliver services or buildings to deliver them from, and you told us it was the people you valued the most.

However we have to balance the need of having appropriate workplaces for your Neighbourhood Policing Teams to work from and for teams such as Response Officers, Public Protection Units (PPU), Crime Scene Investigators (CSI), and Criminal Investigation Departments (CID).

Following the Government announcement we have had to review how we do things, why we do things and most importantly what impact that has on the public we serve. Reviewing the Police Estate is the next phase of redesigning our services to operate with less Government funding while protecting the front line and the safety of our communities.

The Estate Review examined each building in detail, including its current level of use.  Each building was evaluated against three key criteria to determine the extent to which each meets the needs of delivering an effective policing service, and balancing those needs as highlighted in the background section above.

To summarise the findings, each building has been categorised within the following matrix:

The findings of the Estate Review do not take into account the views of the public, they are based on the needs identified by the Force. The aim of this paper (the Draft Strategy) is to support a public debate and provide key information which needs to be taken into account.

To see the Key Principles and Draft Recommendations or the County Summaries for Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham

Click here to download or print the complete Draft Estate Strategy document and the Estate Review document