Blue light base recognised in public service ‘Oscars’

• Gloucestershire Constabulary’s operations centre at Bamfurlong has won a top award
• The police base, which includes response teams, firearms units, roads policing, dogs, and mounted sections won a silver medal in the national public service transformation sector
• The citation described the management of the project as ‘best practice’ and commended its ‘financial management in reducing the cost from around £25m to £12.895m’
• Chief Constable Rod Hansen said, “The judges singled out the fact the project was not only delivered on time but also came in under budget – that was all down to the exemplary way the work was managed and overseen”.

It was built at a fraction of the original cost – and to prove it was money well-saved, Gloucestershire Constabulary’s operations centre at Bamfurlong has won a national award.

The iESE awards, ‘Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Empresa’ in Spanish, or ‘Institute of Higher Business Studies’ in English, are open to all public bodies in the UK; together with their partners in the voluntary, community and private sectors, and are sometimes called the public service ‘Oscars’.

Gloucestershire Constabulary and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), which is responsible for all police buildings, won a silver medal in the Asset Management and Regeneration Category, for ‘the provision of a specialist operations centre’.

The medal-winning citation described the management of the project as ‘best practice’ as well as commending its ‘financial management in reducing the cost from around £25m to £12.895m’.

Chief Constable Rod Hansen said, “This fitting accolade is thoroughly deserved by the entire project team who worked so diligently to transform Bamfurlong into the magnificent site it is today – an asset we can be proud of for decades to come.

“To be nominated for this award, projects must be able to demonstrate ‘proven benefits to local public services and their communities’; there is no doubt that locating our Specialist teams at Bamfurlong does exactly that, allowing them to serve the whole county from this accessible, central hub at the heart of our interconnected road network. Officers and staff based there now have accommodation that is modern, clean and environmentally friendly, respecting the local green belt and conscious too of our carbon footprint.

“The judges singled out the fact the project was not only delivered on time but also came in under budget – that was all down to the exemplary way the work was managed and overseen”.

Recognition for the base at Bamfurlong, is the latest in a number of iESE awards won by the PCC’s office, which is responsible for all police buildings.

Previous recipients include the Sabrina Centre, the police training and development facility at Berkeley; the Constabulary’s transport services department, which was named Greenfleet Public Sector Fleet of the Year in the small to medium Category for its commitment to running electric vehicles; and the Commissioner’s Fund, which has supported nearly 500 local crime-fighting organisations since it was created in 2012, and was named ‘Police Service of the Year’ in 2018.

OPCC Chief Executive Ruth Greenwood said, “There were times when it looked as though Bamfurlong would never get off the ground. Winning this award is a great compliment to those who were determined to see it through.

“It is recognition of the great work done by the developers, the Constabulary and the OPCC in creating what is an exceptional facility and a credit to all involved”.

Bamfurlong has been home to response teams, dogs and firearms officers, and collision investigators since the 1970s, but was in urgent need of modernisation to meet the operational needs of a modern Constabulary.

The Constabulary’s Head of Estates and Support Services, Vicki Heselton, said: “There was some really stiff competition with over 250 entrants, which makes this award even more special.

“It was a very challenging project for a number of reasons. Bamfurlong is a difficult site, tucked-in between a motorway and a dual carriageway. We had to re-locate the teams that operate from there while at the same time find ways of reducing the cost considerably.

“Taking all that into account, we are very proud of what we have achieved and delighted to have this acknowledgement”.