The Scottish Police Authority and Its Property Asset Management Plan

Transcription

1 Agenda Item 14 Meeting SPA Board Meeting Date and Time 2 nd October 2013 Location Rutherglen Town Hall, Rutherglen Title of Paper Item Number 14 Presented By ACC Derek Penman For Approval / For Information FOR APPROVAL please annotate (IN RED BOLD) Appendix Attached: Appendix A Police Scotland Property Asset Management Plan PURPOSE To invite members of the Scottish Police Authority to consider Police Scotland s Property Asset Management Plan and to grant approval for its implementation. BACKGROUND 1.1 This, has been developed to provide a strategic framework with initial actions to allow police Scotland to progress the effective management of its estate. This Property Asset Management Plan will be supplemented by a more comprehensive estates strategy and related governance arrangements that will be jointly developed by Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA). 1.2 Within Police Scotland local policing provides the foundation of the delivery of policing services across Scotland. Communities have access to specialist services and equipment which is co-ordinated nationally, but delivered locally. The purpose of Police Reform is to: Provide equal access to specialist policing services across Scotland and to ensure the effective and efficient deployment of specialist resources into local communities. Maintain delivery of visible and accessible local policing whilst operating within a reduced budget. Strengthen local governance and accountability by ensuring that police services remain strongly rooted in and responsive to local communities. 1.3 It is essential that the property portfolio enables police resources to be utilised in a manner which enhances public confidence and increases public safety but which enables efficiency and effectiveness with savings made which can be re-invested into frontline service delivery. 1.4 Work has been undertaken over the past 12 months to scope the property which has been inherited by Police Scotland and a range of data has been collected by 1

2 the Estates Management Department regarding the size, age, condition and operating costs of the buildings comprising the estate. 1.5 The Police Scotland estate, as of 1 September 2013, consists of 778 properties with a total gross internal area in the region of 515,000 square metres. The estate comprises a wide variety of operational and non operational properties, including a number of specialist facilities. These include operational police offices for delivery of frontline services to communities, former headquarters and other back office support facilities, custody and training facilities, garages, workshops, firing ranges, stores, mortuaries, radio masts, residential hostels, houses, police boxes and land. 1.6 There are 108 offices with to 77% of the estates total floor area. Whilst most of these assets are owned by the Scottish Police Authority, approximately 15% of them are let. 1.7 The changing operational delivery of policing services across Scotland raises a number of strategic issues about the ability of the existing estate to meet future accommodation requirements. For example, with the inception of Police Scotland there are different location requirements for accommodation for community policing, response policing, custody holding, service centres and area control rooms. There is a need for flexible and adaptable premises to meet changing requirements. Typically the age and construction of many of the existing police buildings prevents easy adaptation to alternative uses or for the introduction of modern working practices. 1.8 It is crucial that a is adopted which will enable Police Scotland to operate from a modern, leaner and efficient estate which is closely aligned to the operational and business needs of the organisation. Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority must adopt new ways of working, create opportunities to reduce operating costs and seize opportunities to dispose of properties which no longer fit operational or business needs in order to generate capital receipts which can be reinvested into front line policing services. 1.9 Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority will jointly develop a Communication and Engagement Plan for estate rationalisation that outlines the direction of travel and enables meaningful local engagement with communities and stakeholders for proposed disposal of police property that is no longer required. FURTHER DETAIL ON REPORT TOPIC 2.1 The which is submitted for approval takes account of the strategic context in which Police Scotland operates. This includes the requirement to deliver against the Scottish Government s strategic priorities, the Scottish Police Authority s strategic objectives and Police Scotland s priorities. It also identified the need to take account of the wider public service context, particularly in respect of the Scottish Government Agenda for efficiency, best value and sustainability and its requirements for effective asset management within the public sector. 2.2 It is essential that there is a close alignment between the Property Asset Management Plan and the operational and business requirements and as a result 2

3 the preparation of the included a review of operational and business requirements along with a review of the existing estate. 2.3 The Property Plan has identified five Strategic Principles which are to: Provide a modern, flexible and adaptable estate which can respond to change and the dynamic nature of policing. This can be achieved by the acquisition of purpose built, modern and adaptable facilities or by remodelling existing buildings to make them more flexible. Maximise assets by making best use of financial resources. This can be achieved by reducing operating costs and by selling properties which are no longer needed to generate capital receipts which can be reinvested into the delivery of frontline policing services. Integrate & rationalise existing property wherever possible. This will be achieved by assessing, integrating and disposing of properties which no longer meet the operational or business needs of Police Scotland to ensure that the right buildings, of the right type are in the right place. Promote opportunities to work collaboratively with public sector partners. This can be achieved by progressing opportunities for shared services to maximise best use of public resources. Provide sustainable buildings which drive efficiencies. This can be achieved by the promotion of standards which minimise space requirements, reduce energy use and impact on the environment. 2.4 Delivery of these five Strategic Principles is essential to the successful implementation of the. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 3.1 The Capital Programme details the future capital expenditure of Police Scotland. The Capital Programme is funded by the Grant In Aid figure approved by the Scottish Government. Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority, will need to be able to utilise capital receipts raised from the disposal of surplus properties as reinvestment in the delivery of policing services. Whilst in the immediate future the Scottish Government has indicated that capital receipts can be retained, it will still be necessary, in the longer term that Business Cases are prepared for investment projects which rely on funding from capital monies raised. 3.2 In the current financial climate it will become increasingly difficult to access funding sources for progressing capital building projects and any bids for investment will have to be targeted to those projects and works which provide maximum improvements in terms of service benefits and financial returns or are required to meet statutory compliance issues. It is critical that there is a clear alignment between approved capital projects and the strategic operational and business requirements of Police Scotland. Innovation in identifying funding sources to support investment in the estate is required. For capital projects to be successful in the coming years it will be necessary that robust business cases are developed which demonstrate the operational and business requirements, options 3

4 for delivery, proposed expenditure, potential funding sources and overall affordability along with strong evidence that the project can be delivered on budget within identified timescales. The ability for projects to be self financing through the rationalisation of other properties and the associated savings from operating costs should be key elements for approval of projects. Obtaining maximum value for the disposal of surplus properties is essential. 3.3 The sum allocated from the revenue budget to property for 2013/2014 is million. A significant liability for the estate is the annual cost of non domestic rates which amounts to million. Approximately 52% of the estate operating budget is fixed and of the remaining 20% of it is attributed to utilities which is also set in the short term. As a result, given the inflexibility of the revenue budget, it will be difficult to make savings without embarking on a rationalisation programme of the estate and service contracts. This is absolutely crucial if there is to be a reduction in future estate spend. Rationalisation can be achieved by: Disposing of properties which have already been declared surplus. Ending leases of rented properties when they expire or reach break points. Utilising robust asset management reviews to identify additional properties which can be declared surplus and recommended for disposal. (While there are a number of properties within the estate which can be identified as quick wins, closure of larger properties in the estate will drive out the greatest revenue savings). Disposing of residential properties which are not essential for the provision of policing services in remote areas. Identifying and disposing of large, former Headquarters buildings that are no longer fit for purpose or operationally required. Rationalisation of facilities management contracts. PERSONNEL IMPLICATIONS 4.1 The Estates Management Department within Police Scotland is responsible for the ongoing management and development of the police estate. The Department currently delivers a wide range of estate related services including design, space planning, estates management, contract administration and management, project management, construction procurement and facilities management. Delivery of these services is usually split between in house delivery by the Estates Department supplemented by the use of external consultants where appropriate. 4.2 The Estates Management Department will be responsible for the implementation of the actions identified in this. With the introduction of Police Scotland the estates staff in the legacy organisations have formed a single Estates Management Department. The final structure for this Department has still to be agreed and a decision is required about whether the model adopted should be a centralised estate and design service, an out sourced model or a combination of both. Savings do need to be achieved from a reduced estates structure. This however, requires to be considered in the context of the considerable future work which is required to rationalise the estates portfolio. An 4

5 Estates Management Structure which meets the requirements of Police Scotland to rationalise the estate while delivering efficiency savings will be identified, approved and implemented. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Progression of the actions arising from the will require the continued involvement of Legal Services personnel from the Police Authority and Police Scotland. REPUTATIONAL IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Communities, partners and stakeholders served by Police Scotland will require information about the operation of and proposals for the police estate. Closure of surplus police offices can be emotive for communities and a Communication and Engagement Plan, which enables the public to have a wider understanding of our operational delivery model and how policing can be delivered from a different estate, requires to be developed and published. This plan should explain the benefits of a rationalised but locally tailored approach to delivering local and specialist policing along with timescales and potential changes. It is equally important to communicate internally with our people as the rationalisation of the estate will have a direct impact on where people work. The SPA will have a particular interest in ensuring that there has been meaningful engagement with communities and stakeholders in all cases of surplus police offices is being disposed off. SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS 7.1 The successful implementation of the could have significant social implications for Communities. Central to the success of community policing is the ability of teams to deliver from within communities as opposed to into communities. Community Policing teams in the future will deploy from a range of accommodation including existing buildings, shop fronts, colocated facilities with partner organisations, in schools, community centres, or in multi partner one stop shops. This has the potential to increase community safety and well being in local communities. EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS 8.1 It is not anticipated that the will in itself have any equality implications, however, an Equalities Impact Assessment will be completed as part of any property related Business Case which proposes changes to service s property portfolio. RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended that Members of the Scottish Police Authority APPROVE the implementation of the. 5

6 Police Scotland

7 INTRODUCTION 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background Strategic Context Police Scotland Estate Capital and Revenue Budget Asset Manaagement and Effective Use of Resources Review of Exisiting Estate Delivery of Property Plan Communication and Engagement Plan Recommendations and Action Plan 13 2 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Background Organisational Overview Strategic Context Police Scotland Estate Capital and Revenue Budget Management of the Estate Objectives of the Property Plan 25 3 REVIEW OF OPERATIONAL AND BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS Strategic Context Strategic Estate Priorities Asset Management and Effective Use of Resources 37 4 REVIEW OF EXISTING ESTATE Introduction Operational Estate Major Investment Projects Residential Properties Surplus Properties Radio Masts 48 5 DELIVERY OF THE PROPERTY PLAN Governance and Performance 50 2

8 5.2 Communication and Engagement Plan 52 6 PROPERTY ACTION PLAN 54 APPENDICES 55 APPENDIX A: PROPERTY ACTION PLAN 56 APPENDIX B: BREAKDOWN OF PROPERTY BY CATEGORY 69 APPENDIX C: SPA/PSOS PROPERTY OV (OWNED AND LEASED) 70 APPENDIX D: SALES IN PROPERTY - MARKETED OR NEARLY MARKETED - 1/9/13 75 APPENDIX E: SUMMARY OF CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2013/14 77 APPENDIX F: CAPITAL PROJECTS /14 PROGRAMME 78 APPENDIX G: TIMETABLE FOR REVENUE SAVINGS & CAPITAL RECEIPTS 80 3

9 Document Control Originator Checked Approved Date 0 DH 15 August DH 26 August DH 3 September DH 10 September DP MMC DP 25 September

10 Introduction The inception of Police Scotland on 1 April 2013 has brought about the most significant reform in Scottish Policing for generations. Police Scotland s purpose is to improve the safety and wellbeing of people, places and communities across Scotland. Our focus is on keeping people safe. The purpose of Police Reform is to provide equal access to specialised policing services across Scotland, to maintain the delivery of visible and accessible local policing whilst operating within a reduced budget and to strengthen local governance and accountability by ensuring that policing services remain strongly rooted and responsive to local communities. To keep people safe, it is essential that we direct policing services right into the heart of our communities so that we can have a real impact on the day to day lives of people across Scotland. We need to make access to police services easier and deliver policing services from within communities rather than into them. It is essential that the buildings from which the Police operate enable the effective and efficient deployment of resources across Scotland. This has identified five Strategic Principles which are to: Provide a modern, flexible and adaptable estate which can respond to change and the dynamic nature of policing. This can be achieved by the acquisition of purpose built, modern and adaptable facilities or by remodelling existing buildings to make them more flexible. Maximise assets by making best use of financial resources. This can be achieved by reducing operating costs and by selling properties which are no longer needed to generate capital receipts which can be re-invested into delivery of frontline policing services. Integrate and rationalise existing property wherever possible. This will be achieved by assessing, integrating and disposing of properties which no longer meet the operational or business needs of Police Scotland to ensure that the right buildings, of the right type, are in the right place. Promote opportunities to work collaboratively with public sector partners. This will be achieved by progressing opportunities for shared services to maximise best use of public resources. Provide sustainable buildings which drive efficiencies. This will be achieved by the promotion of standards which minimise space requirements, reduce energy use and impact on the environment. Delivery of these five Strategic Principles is essential to the successful implementation of this. This will mean that Police Scotland will 5

11 operate from a modern, leaner and efficient estate which is closely aligned to the operational and business needs of the organisation. Police Scotland and the Police Authority will be able to make savings by adopting new ways of working, reducing operating costs and by generating capital receipts which can be reinvested in frontline policing services. This will maximise the benefits for communities across Scotland and will ensure that by enhancing service delivery, we are keeping people safe. Sir Stephen House, QPM Chief Constable 6

12 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Background This has been developed to provide a strategic framework with initial actions that allow Police Scotland to progress the effective management of its estate. This will be supplemented by a more comprehensive Estates Strategy and related governance arrangements which will be jointly developed by Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority The delivery of policing services to the communities across Scotland through the provision of local policing was crucial to legacy Forces and has continued since the introduction of Police Scotland on 1 April In many smaller communities, the breadth of service has been enhanced with additional access to specialist expertise and equipment being available, co-ordinated nationally but delivered locally. It is fundamental to Police Scotland, that policing services remain strongly rooted and responsive to their local communities It is essential therefore that the property portfolio allows police resources to be used in such a manner which enhances public confidence and increases public safety but which enables efficiency and effectiveness with savings made, re-invested into frontline service delivery This Report outlines the Property Plan for Police Scotland. It establishes five Strategic Principles which will ensure a strategic approach is taken to property with the estate requirements being driven by the operational and business needs of the organisation. It provides the means for identifying and prioritising investment decisions, ensuring that best value of public funds is achieved. The Strategic Principles identified are to: Provide a modern, flexible and adaptable estate which can respond to change and the dynamic nature of policing. This can be achieved by the acquisition of purpose built, modern and adaptable facilities or by remodelling existing buildings to make them more flexible. Maximise assets by making best use of financial resources. This can be achieved by reducing operating costs and by selling properties which are no longer needed to generate capital receipts which can be reinvested into the delivery of frontline policing services. Integrate and rationalise existing property wherever possible. This will be achieved by assessing, integrating and disposing of properties which no longer meet the operational or business needs of Police Scotland to ensure that the right buildings, of the right type are in the right place. 7

13 Promote opportunities to work collaboratively with public sector partners. This will be achieved by progressing opportunities for shared services to maximise best use of public resources. Provide sustainable buildings which drive efficiencies. This will be achieved by the promotion of standards which minimise space requirements, reduce energy use and impact on the environment. 1.2 Strategic Context The strategic context in which the Service operates includes the Scottish Government s priorities, the Scottish Police Authority s objectives, and Police Scotland s priorities. To successfully implement these objectives and priorities, Police Scotland must ensure that organisationally it has the capability and capacity to deliver. The police estate is inextricably linked to ensuring the service can deliver operationally. To be effective in maximising service delivery to local communities, the accommodation from which operational officers and police staff are deployed, must be in appropriate locations, have suitable facilities and efficient space utilisation In delivering the strategic objectives and priorities, the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland must also take account of the wider public service context, particularly in relation to efficiency, best value, sustainability and effective asset management which the Scottish Government have brought into sharp focus through the engagement of the Scottish Futures Trust. The Trust has the responsibility of ensuring value for the taxpayer, across all public sector infrastructure investment and now includes Police Scotland. This partnership, has established a Property Controls Team to promote and embed good practice in property asset management and engagement with them is an essential element of the approval process for any property transactions affecting Police Scotland. 1.3 Police Scotland Estate The Police Scotland estate currently (as of 1/9/13) consists of 778 properties with a total gross internal area in the region of 515,000m². The estate comprises a wide variety of operational and non operational properties, including a number of specialist facilities. The changing operational delivery of policing services across Scotland raises a number of strategic issues about the ability of the existing estate to meet future accommodation requirements. With the inception of Police Scotland and a pulling of all the Legacy Force s properties, there are different location requirements for accommodation in respect of police functions such as community policing, response and custody holding To identify the strategic estate priorities it is necessary to examine the estate requirements of the operational and corporate functions which comprise Police Scotland. These functions are listed in Section 3.2 below and mirror Local Policing, Specialist Divisions and Corporate Support. 8

14 1.3.3 These policing functions impact upon the operational and business needs of the Service and consequently have an effect on the Property Portfolio and Plan. As such, a strategic overview of each function has been completed and several Recommendations and associated Actions linked to the Strategic Priorities have been set out (see Appendix A: Actions 5-15). 1.4 Capital and Revenue Budget In the current financial climate it will become increasingly difficult to access funding sources for progressing capital building projects and any bids for investment will have to be targeted to those projects which provide maximum improvements in terms of service benefits and financial returns or are required to meet statutory compliance issues. It is critical to the development of the property portfolio that there is a clear alignment between approved capital projects and the strategic, operational and business requirements of Police Scotland. Emphasis must move to the ability of projects to be significantly self financed through the rationalisation of other properties and the associated savings from operating costs as these will be key elements for approval of future projects. Obtaining maximum value for the disposal of surplus properties is essential On 26 June 2013 the Scottish Police Authority approved in principle the Service s Capital Plan to be delivered for 2013/2014, 2014/2015 and 2015/ Property related projects within the Capital Plan are as follows: (i) Completion of Legacy Property Projects Each legacy organisation had previously identified capital works funded within their Capital Building Programmes in 2013/2014 amounting to 18.4 million. These projects include a number of legally committed ongoing projects such as, the new custody building at Kittybrewster in Aberdeen and the new operational police offices at Fort William and Drumchapel. The total Capital cost of the foregoing projects is 16 million, 5.99 million and 3.72 million respectfully, with the funding having been committed by the previous legacy Police Authorities. (ii) Other Related Property Lines A three year plan across the three categories below, has been agreed at a cost of 25million. The 2013/14 plan is progressing with all expenditure meeting the Strategic Priorities as set out within this Plan. 9

15 Category Financial Year( m) 13/14 14/15 15/16 Total Property condition Enhancements/Minor Works Asset Management Schemes/Invest to Save Carbon Reduction Schemes /Invest to Save TOTALS Further Capital projects have been identified as being required across the Force area and have been prioritised according to operational and financial requirements. Future Capital Programmes will require to consider Police Scotland s operational and business needs before deciding which of these projects are of the highest priority for progression. (iii) Major Investment Programme Finally, the Capital Plan includes provision in 2014/2015 for 5.16 million funding for the ICT/ FFE fit out of the proposed operational police facility at Dalmarnock. This facility is crucial for operational service delivery in the West of Scotland and is a key enabler in the overall rationalisation of the wider estate. A comprehensive Business Case setting out the proposal is currently being considered by the Scottish Police Authority. Revenue Budget Notwithstanding, the Capital Plan and the Estates Strategy. Police Scotland face significant financial challenges over the coming years with substantial savings necessary consequently there is a need to progress without delay, an estates plan with a view to reducing revenue operating costs. The estimated Revenue Budget for 2013 /14 is million of which approximately 52% of the estates operating budget is fixed and of the remaining budget, 20% of it is attributed to utilities which are also set in the short term. At the present time the only area where there is flexibility for reduction is the Repair and Maintenance budget. Two thirds of the Repairs and Maintenance budget however, relates to essential planned or preventative maintenance required for statutory compliance, mandatory maintenance, health and safety or reactive maintenance, none of which can be compromised without generating significant risk. Whilst it is possible to reduce repair and maintenance expenditure in the short term, this is not sustainable for a prolonged period as building components will progressively fail without regular maintenance, leading to increasingly expensive repairs in the longer term Given the inflexibility of the revenue budget, it is very difficult to make savings from the operating costs of property without embarking on a rationalisation programme of the estate and of service contracts. This is absolutely crucial if there is to be a reduction in future estates spend. 1.5 Asset Management and Effective Use of Resources 10

16 1.5.1 Asset management is a key theme within the Scottish Government s agenda. With the establishment of the Scottish Police Authority on 1 April 2013 there is now a requirement to ensure Scottish Government guidance and good practice are adhered to in relation to Asset Management this includes: the creation of an Asset Management Plan; the creation and maintenance of a single comprehensive database of property information; agreed roles/responsibilities for managing assets with clear structures and accountability; compliance with the procedures set out within the Scottish Public Finance Manual/HM Treasury Green Book especially in relation to the formation of Business Cases for disposal/acquisition of property; and finally, the implementation of performance targets/bench marking These requirements are not insignificant and as such this Plan has made recommendation to fulfil the above necessary requirements with a suggested recommendation and five associated Actions which can be found within Appendix A, Actions Review of the Existing Estate The police estate can be broadly categorised into the functions outlined below: Operational estate; Major Investment Projects; Residential properties; Surplus properties; and Radio masts Property requirements are changing. It is necessary that Police Scotland looks to different methods of delivering services to the public. It may be more desirable to share premises with other public sector partners. Increasingly public contact comes via the telephone and rather than attendance at police offices and whilst the provision of visible and accessible services is essential to service delivery, it is not necessary that this is delivered using the existing estate. The Public Counter Review has, for example, established core police offices which should be open to the public 24/7 and others which could have reduced operational service delivery or public access enabling policing services to be delivered to the community in other ways With the introduction of Police Scotland it is now necessary that the operational estate is evaluated so that evidence based decisions can be made about properties which should be retained and those which could be declared surplus and disposed of as part of an overall disposal plan. These properties will be evaluated against a predetermined set of criteria, which are provided at Section 4.2 of this Report Significantly 15% (or 117) properties within the portfolio are leased. Although the legacy organisations had sound reasons for this policy, in order to address the 11

17 prevailing financial constraints, the position should now be to identify and terminate leases which no longer offer value or were the leased accommodation needs can be met from owned or other public sector properties, unless there are sound operational and/or business requirements for their retention Such practical scrutiny of the entire estate, including residential properties, Legacy Headquarter buildings and identified surplus properties are the subject of several recommendations in this Plan under the banner of rationalisation There are a number of legally committed capital projects which have been inherited from the legacy organisations. It is recognised that capital funding will be scarce and that future bids for major capital investment will have to be directed to projects and works which provide the maximum opportunity for benefits and service improvement and provide an opportunity for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority to make additional savings both in terms of budget and levels of accommodation. Radio Masts Currently the radio mast network provides an annual income stream of 3.48 million with potential to grow however they attract a substantial management fee, landlord lease costs and maintenance costs of around 1.2 million per annum, resulting in an annual net income steam of 2.3 million. Notwithstanding, it is estimated that the sale of the radio masts could generate in the region of 25 million based on initial market values. Given the capital values involved and the lucrative income stream generated, it is imperative that detailed consideration is given to the continued retention or otherwise, of the Radio Masts by the Scottish Police Authority. The Report recommends that a Business Case should be developed to consider the options. 1.7 Delivery of the Property Plan While it is critical that operational and business needs drive property requirements, an overall strategic approach must be taken to ensure a consistent and co-ordinated delivery. To ensure the Plans delivery it is recommended that an Operational Estates Forum be established within Police Scotland to assess competing operational and business priorities and ensure appropriate Business Cases are provided for scrutiny by Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority and Scottish Ministers. This Forum will flow into the Corporate Asset Management Board which will over see Property, Fleet and ICT Investment. The Governance Structure is provided at Section 5.1 of this Report It is accepted that governance structures will further develop through dialogue with the Scottish Police Authority to ensure closer integration and engagement of Scottish Police Authority members and officials To support the Property Plan, Police Scotland Estates Management Department, will utilise a range of implementation plans with dedicated owners who will be 12

18 responsible for monitoring progress and reporting to the Operational Estates Forum. In addition, a single corporate database will be created and the information contained within, will be utilised by members of the Forum to develop priorities for delivery. Occupancy rates of buildings will be included within a raft of performance indicators which will be used to monitor all properties within the estate and aid the identification of inefficient ineffective buildings. Recommendations and Actions are set out within Appendix A of this Report. 1.8 Communication and Engagement Plan Communities, partners and stakeholders served by Police Scotland will require information about the operation of, and proposals for, the police estate. Closure of surplus police offices can be emotive for communities and a Communication and Engagement Plan, which enables the public to have a wider understanding of our operational delivery model and how policing can be delivered from a different estate, requires to be developed. This Report recommends that Police Scotland will implement a Communication and Engagement Plan for estate rationalisation which outlines the high level direction of travel and enables local engagement with communities and stakeholders for proposed plans and which includes personnel, union and staff associations The Scottish Police Authority will have a particular interest in ensuring that there has been meaningful engagement with communities and stakeholders in all cases where police offices are being considered for disposal. 1.9 Recommendations and Action Plan Developed from this plan are 23 recommendations linked to the five Strategic priorities and 29 Actions emanating from those suggested recommendations. All are produced at Appendix A of this Report. 13

19 2. Introduction and Background 2.1 Background Police Scotland came into existence on 1 April 2013 bringing about the most significant reform in Scottish policing in generations. In Police Scotland local policing remains the foundation of the delivery of policing services across Scotland. Communities have access to specialist expertise and equipment which is co-ordinated nationally, but delivered locally. The purpose of Police Reform is to: provide equal access to specialist policing services across Scotland and to ensure the effective and efficient deployment of specialist resources into local communities; maintain delivery of visible and accessible local policing whilst operating within a reduced budget; and strengthen local governance and accountability by ensuring that police services remain strongly rooted in and responsive to local communities It is essential that the property portfolio enables police resources to be utilised in a manner which enhances public confidence and increases public safety but which enables efficiency and effectiveness with savings made which can be re-invested into frontline service delivery This Report outlines the Property Plan for Police Scotland. It establishes five Strategic Principles which will ensure a strategic approach is taken to property with the estate requirements being driven by the operational and business needs of the organisation. It provides the means for identifying and prioritising investment decisions, ensuring that best value of public funds is achieved. The Strategic Principles identified are to: 14 Provide a modern, flexible and adaptable estate which can respond to change and the dynamic nature of policing. This can be achieved by the acquisition of purpose built, modern and adaptable facilities or by remodelling existing buildings to make them more flexible. Maximise assets by making best use of financial resources. This can be achieved by reducing operating costs and by selling properties which are no longer needed to generate capital receipts which can be reinvested into the delivery of frontline policing services. Integrate and rationalise existing property wherever possible. This will be achieved by assessing, integrating and disposing of properties which no longer meet the operational or business needs of Police Scotland to ensure that the right buildings, of the right type are in the right place. Promote opportunities to work collaboratively with public sector partners. This will be achieved by progressing opportunities for shared services to maximise best use of public resources.

20 Provide sustainable buildings which drive efficiencies. This will be achieved by the promotion of standards which minimise space requirements, reduce energy use and impact on the environment. 2.2 Organisational Overview The Chief Constable of Police Scotland has overall responsibility for policing throughout Scotland. He is assisted by an Executive Team, which comprises four Deputy Chief Constables, six Assistant Chief Constables and three Directors. The Service currently has 17,436 police officers, 1404 special constables and 5637 support staff Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray, Tayside, Highlands and Islands, Forth Valley, Edinburgh City, The Lothians and Scottish Borders, Fife, Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, Argyll and West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde and Dumfries and Galloway are the fourteen Divisions which make up Local Policing. Each Divisions is headed by a Divisional Commander who ensures that Local Policing in each area is responsive and accountable to local needs. Each Division comprises a number of Local Policing Areas, which are headed by Local Area Commanders. Response, community, crime investigation, road policing, public protection and local intelligence officers are deployed in each Division. 15

21 Police Scotland Police Scotland also has five national Specialist Divisions which have responsibility for delivery of specialist frontline policing functions to communities across Scotland. These Divisions are: Contact, Command and Control; Custody; Licensing and Violence Reduction; Operational Support; and Specialist Crime The Service has a number of Corporate Departments which support frontline service delivery. These departments include: Analysis and Performance Business Change Corporate Communications Criminal Justice Estates Management Finance ICT Information Management Legal Services People and Development Policy Support Professional Standards Records Management Risk Management Transport and Logistics The Chief Constable is held to account by the Scottish Police Authority which has the responsibility to maintain policing, promote policing principles and continuous improvement. The Authority must ensure best value is being achieved while ensuring that the operational requirements of Police Scotland are met. The Authority headed by the Chair and is made up of 13 Board Members. The Board is supported by an Executive Team under the direction of a Chief Executive which provides support and advice to the Board on strategic decisions regarding finance, human resources and other relevant matters. 2.3 Strategic Context Police Scotland s purpose which is outlined in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act, 2012 is to improve the safety and well being of people, places and communities in Scotland. The Service s focus is on keeping people safe The Scottish Government has set four Strategic Priorities for policing which are to: 16

22 Make communities safer and reduce harm by tackling and investigating crime and demonstrating pioneering approaches to prevention and collaboration at a national and local level; Strengthen Scotland s reputation as a successful and safe country by demonstrating excellence in effectively planning for and responding to major events and threats: Provide an efficient, effective service focussed on protecting frontline services, delivering the benefits of police reform and promoting continuous improvement; and Make communities stronger and improve wellbeing by increasing public confidence and reducing fear of crime, making the new Police Service of Scotland an exemplar of visible, ethical and responsive policing In line with the Scottish Government s Strategic Priorities, the Scottish Police Authority has set seven Strategic Objectives which are to: Work in partnership to improve safety for the citizens of Scotland and reduce crime; Ensure that all communities, including the most vulnerable have access to the police service and are given the support they need to feel safe; Enhance Scotland s global reputation as a safe place; Ensure there is equitable access to services across all Scotland s communities where and when needed; Deliver the benefits of reform effectively and efficiently; Increase public confidence in the police service by understanding and responding to the particular needs of Scotland s diverse communities; and Promote a culture of excellence There is a clear requirement for Police Scotland to work in partnership to improve community safety and to investigate and reduce crime. Promotion of partnership working will clearly assist in meeting financial targets and will lead to more efficient integration of service provision. There is also a requirement to effectively plan and respond to major events and threats while protecting frontline services and promoting a culture of continuous improvement. The diverse needs of communities must be taken into consideration while efficient and effective reform takes place. Ultimately Police Scotland must ensure that service delivery is achieved in a cost effective manner and savings which can be achieved from the operation of the estate are crucial to achieving this, freeing up resources which can be re- invested in frontline service delivery Police Scotland has seven priorities which are to: 17

23 Reduce violence, disorder and anti social behaviour; Protect the public; Increase road safety and reduce road crime; Tackle serious organised crime and terrorism; Effectively police major events and threats; Maintain high levels of public confidence in policing; Deliver our equality and diversity outcomes In order that the Scottish Government s strategic priorities can be met, the Scottish Police Authority has adopted a 3 year Strategic Police Plan. Police Scotland has developed an Annual Police Plan which informs 32 local police plans across Scotland and 353 Multi Member Ward Plans It is imperative that there is a close alignment between the operational and business requirements of the Force and the estate. Police officers, members of police staff and special constables who are involved in the delivery of these priorities into the communities across Scotland must be deployed from properties which are in the right location, are of a suitable type and condition and which support local operational needs In delivering the strategic objectives and priorities, the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland must also take account of the wider public service context, particularly in relation to efficiency, best value and sustainability. Efficiency The Scottish Government is dedicated to ensuring that all public services work with maximum efficiency to deliver benefits to the people of Scotland. The Scottish Government expects every public body to deliver and Report on efficiency savings of at least 3% per annum during the course of the current spending review which runs until 2014/2015. This efficiency expectation will help public bodies offset cost pressures and operate within their budget allocations while protecting service delivery. Given that property costs are second only to people costs, it is vital that Police Scotland take steps to reduce the operating costs arising from its estate so that they can be invested into frontline service delivery Collaboration and integration are key to public sector reform and efficiency agendas and the government expects to see improved collaborative working and much wider application of shared services. Police Scotland works closely with partners but despite this there are still too few examples of shared facilities across the estate. Partnership working and co-location opportunities must be actively pursued with public sector partners. 18

24 Similarly, efficient use of current property assets, available to Police Scotland through the Police Reform process, are dependant on how effectively and quickly the Legacy Force s assets can be brought together and considered in the context of what Police Scotland needs. This transitional exercise from the existing Legacy estate to the optimal future estate will be arrived at through robust analysis of need which will lead to reductions in operating costs. Best Value The Scottish Government wishes to ensure that best value principles underpin the operation of all public sector organisations and are a central foundation for continuous improvement. Public sector organisations have a duty to secure continuous improvement and maintain the balance between quality and cost while ensuring that economy, efficiency, effectiveness, equal opportunities and sustainability are promoted There is a requirement for the Scottish Police Authority and ultimately Police Scotland to meet the requirements outlined in the Scottish Public Finance Manual and HM Treasury Green Book Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government. For new projects it will now be necessary for those which exceed a value of 2 million to have Business Cases prepared which outline a clear operational or business need and which have an options appraisal which considers the full life cycle costs of the proposal. This will ensure that the true financial cost of proposals are factored into the decision making process and that the most economically advantageous projects are progressed. Whilst the Scottish Public Finance Manual is geared towards major projects, it does indicate that this general principle should remain for smaller projects, although some of the procedures may be simplified in the interests of efficiency and proportionality. Sustainability In January 2012 the Scottish Government published its Public Sector Sustainability Report ( ) in which it issued guidance to all public sector bodies in Scotland. All public sector organisations have to demonstrate improved performance in relation to sustainability and their impact on the environment particularly around greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, waste management, water consumption, biodiversity and sustainable procurement The provision of sustainable buildings however, is not simply about energy consumption or carbon emissions, but is also about ensuring efficient and effective use of space to deliver business operations. The service must ensure that the police estate is as flexible and adaptable as possible so that service delivery can be maximised with minimal cost Sustainability is at the heart of Scotland s procurement reform programme. The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations, 2012 require that public bodies, when purchasing goods and services take account of the delivery of social, environmental and community benefits. In the future this will need to be considered when making investment decisions. 19

25 In 2011/2012 the energy use in buildings and fuel consumption in the legacy organisations produced over 73,296 tonnes of carbon emissions. The consumption of electricity, gas and oil accounted for 70% of this total. Apart from a legislative requirement to reduce emissions there is a direct correlation between carbon emissions and energy cost reduction and Police Scotland will require to prioritise activity to reduce overall carbon emissions. This is detailed later in this Report. Engagement with Scottish Futures Trust and Scottish Government Property Controls Team The Scottish Futures Trust is an independent company established by the Scottish Government, with a responsibility for delivering value for money across public sector infrastructure investment. It operates at arm s length from the Government but works closely with the public sector, in particular with local authorities and the health boards, to deliver improved value for tax payers. It is currently working on a number of public sector infrastructure projects across Scotland and has scoped the Scottish public sector estate in its entirety. The Scottish Futures Trust has a number of work streams, which include asset management, education, funding and finance, health, housing, low carbon and energy efficiency, contract management, programme support, transport and waste The Scottish Futures Trust is keen to work with Police Scotland and to offer support in delivery of the Property Plan. It has already offered to host workshops between Local Policing Divisional Commanders and partners to assist in the identification of partnership opportunities for delivering policing services across Scotland The Scottish Government Property Department and the Scottish Futures Trust have established a partnership to promote and embed good practice in property asset management known as the Property Controls Team. The remit of this Team is to ensure: A more corporate and holistic approach to strategic planning and delivery of long term property needs across the whole of the public sector; A clear and common understanding of expectations and potential to reduce costs and carbon footprint; Consistent good practice in estate management practice, property transactions and disposals and asset use; Best use of assets and space planning to promote flexible ways of working; and Maintenance and use of management information on a central database to complement local property data records. 20

26 Engagement with the Team is an essential element of the approval process for property transactions and when developing economic and financial cases for change. Police Scotland will engage with the Scottish Futures Trust and the Scottish Government Property Control Team in relation to asset management, for the delivery of future property projects and to assist with the identification of opportunities for shared service provision. This supports the Strategic principle to promote opportunities to work collaboratively with public sector partners. 2.4 Police Scotland Estate The Police Scotland estate currently (as of 1/9/13) consists of 778 properties with a total gross internal area in the region of 515,000 square metres. The estate comprises a wide variety of operational and non operational properties, including a number of specialist facilities. These include operational police offices for delivery of frontline services to communities, former headquarters and other back office support facilities, custody and training facilities, garages, workshops, firing ranges, stores, mortuaries, radio masts, residential hostels, houses, police boxes and land. Appendix B provides a breakdown of the properties by category within each Division There are 108 offices with (GIA) which occupy a combined floor area of 397,000 77% of the estate. These premises are detailed in Appendix C. While most of these assets are owned by the Scottish Police Authority, approximately 15% of them are let The changing operational delivery of policing services across Scotland raises a number of strategic issues about the ability of the existing estate to meet future accommodation requirements. With the inception of Police Scotland there are different location requirements for accommodation in respect of community policing, response and custody holding. The size and utilisation of existing properties does not necessarily fit the new model. For response policing and custody, for example, larger centralised facilities which provide accommodation for national or divisional functions may be required. On the other hand, many existing properties are too large for Community Policing Teams resulting in unnecessary expenditure being incurred from operating costs There is a current and future need for flexible and adaptable premises to meet changing requirements. Typically the age and construction of many of the existing police buildings prevents easy adaptation to alternative uses or for the introduction of modern working practices. This is an impediment to estate rationalisation as it prevents the opportunity to move resources around the portfolio without incurring additional costs for adjustment. The availability of 21

27 flexible space, particularly in the central belt would be a valuable addition to enable wider rationalisation of the estate A significant percentage of existing buildings operate on a 24/7 basis which has a direct impact on operating costs and sustainability. As a result of technology demand for public access to police buildings is changing and is often low outwith normal working hours. While response, custody, service centres and control rooms all require to be operational on a 24/7 basis, many other facilities, including community policing, should be based on demand and should have opening times suited to local requirements. 2.5 Capital and Revenue Budget Capital Budget The Capital Programme details the future capital expenditure of Police Scotland. The Capital Programme is funded by the Grant In Aid figure approved by the Scottish Government. Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority, will need to be able to utilise capital receipts raised from the disposal of surplus properties as a reinvestment in the delivery of policing services. Whilst in the immediate future the Scottish Government has indicated that capital receipts can be retained, it will still be necessary, in the longer term that Business Cases are prepared for investment projects which rely on funding from capital monies raised In the current financial climate it will become increasingly difficult to access funding sources for progressing capital building projects and any bids for investment will have to be targeted to those projects and works which provide maximum improvements in terms of service benefits and financial returns or are required to meet statutory compliance issues. It is critical that there is a clear alignment between approved capital projects and the strategic operational and business requirements of Police Scotland. Innovation in identifying funding sources to support investment in the estate is required. For capital projects to be successful in the coming years it will be necessary that robust business cases are developed which demonstrate the operational and business requirements, options for delivery, proposed expenditure, potential funding sources and overall affordability along with strong evidence that the project can be delivered on budget within identified timescales. The ability for projects to be self financing through the rationalisation of other properties and the associated savings from operating costs should be key elements for approval of projects. Obtaining maximum value for the disposal of surplus properties is essential The approved Capital Receipts Target for this financial year, 2014/2015 and 2015/1016 are detailed below. A list of the on going sales in 2013/2014 is detailed in Appendix D. Financial Year( m) 13/14 14/15 15/16 Total Property Capital Receipts

28 Police Scotland On 26 June 2013 the Scottish Police Authority approved in principle the Service s Capital Plan for capital projects to be delivered for 2013/2014, 2014/2015 and 2015/ Property related projects within the Capital Plan are as follows: (i) Completion of Legacy Property Projects Each legacy organisation had previously identified capital works funded within their Capital Building Programmes in 2013/2014 amounting to 18.4 million. These projects include a number of legally committed ongoing projects to include, the new custody building at Kittybrewster in Aberdeen and the new operational police offices at Fort William and Drumchapel. The total Capital cost of the foregoing projects is 16 million, 5.99 million and 3.72 million respectfully, with the funding having been committed by the previous legacy Police Authorities. (ii) Other Related property Lines A three year plan across the three categories below, has been agreed at a cost of 25million. The 2013/14 plan is progressing with all expenditure meeting the Strategic Priorities as set out within this Plan. Category Financial Year( m) 13/14 14/15 15/16 Total Property condition Enhancements/Minor Works Asset Management Schemes/Invest to Save Carbon Reduction Schemes /Invest to Save Totals Senior leaders within Police Scotland have recently considered the projects which meet Police Scotland s requirements and which can be progressed by utilising the 4 million set aside for 2013/2014. This spend has been ratified by the Scottish Police Authority. Due to the timescales involved some projects will not be completed prior to the end of the financial year 2013/2014 and it will be necessary to finance these projects from future years budgets. For large scale projects which require a construction period in excess of one year, it will be necessary that appropriate funding arrangements are made in future budgets. 23 Capital projects have been identified as being required across the Force area and have been prioritised according to operational and financial requirements. The total estimated value of these projects amount to million, the

29 details of which are attached at Appendix F. Future years Capital Programmes will require to consider which of these projects are the highest priority for progression in future years. Preparation of the future years capital programme should commence as soon as possible to allow feasibility and options appraisal work to commence at the earliest. Police Scotland will review the capital projects from legacy organisations and determine which meet Police Scotland s operational and business requirements for future progression. This supports the strategic principle to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources. (iii) Major Investment Programme The Capital Plan includes provision in 2014/2015 for 5.16 million funding for the ICT/ FFE fit out of the proposed operational police facility at Dalmarnock. This facility is crucial for operational service delivery in the West of Scotland and is a key enabler in the overall rationalisation of the wider estate. This facility is currently under construction by Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company and its proposed acquisition is detailed in a separate Business Case which has been submitted to the Scottish Police Authority and the Scottish Government for consideration. Further details are outlined later in this Report. Revenue Budget The initial sum allocated to the property budget for 2013/2014 was million (ex VAT). This sum included the 4.72 million for the Training and Recruitment Centre at Jackton which was held by the former Strathclyde Police under its training budget. In order to make savings the Scottish Police Authority agreed the removal of million from the 2013/2014 budget lines for repairs and maintenance and for leasing. The remaining 48,280 million includes the following budget lines; Non Domestic Rates Rates Other Payments for FTC Rents/ Feu Duties Insurance Utilities Other Property Costs Furniture/Fittings Cleaning Materials Carbon Management Repairs/Maintenance Ground Maintenance Notwithstanding, the Capital Plan and the Estates Strategy. Police Scotland face significant financial challenges over the coming years with substantial savings necessary consequently there is a need to progress without delay, an estates plan with a view to reducing revenue operating costs. The estimated Revenue Budget for 2013 /14 is million of which approximately 52% of the estates operating budget is fixed and of the remaining budget, 20% of it is attributed to utilities which are also set in the short term. At the present time 24

30 the only area where there is flexibility for reduction is the Repair and Maintenance budget. Two thirds of the Repairs and Maintenance budget however, relates to essential planned or preventative maintenance which is required for statutory compliance, mandatory maintenance, health and safety or reactive maintenance, neither of which can be compromised without generating significant risk. As a significant proportion of the Repair and Maintenance budget is already committed to meet statutory and legislative obligations, the remaining financial resources for Repairs and Maintenance in the financial year 2013/2014 will only be sufficient for essential and emergency repairs only. Whilst it is possible to reduce repair and maintenance expenditure in the short term, this is not sustainable for a prolonged period as building components will progressively fail without regular maintenance, leading to increasingly expensive repairs in the longer term. It will be necessary to identify additional financial resources to ensure that works are being carried out to protect the long term future of the building assets Given the inflexibility of the revenue budget, it is very difficult to make savings from the operating costs of property without embarking on a rationalisation programme of the estate and of service contracts. This is absolutely crucial if there is to be a reduction in future estates spend. Rationalisation can be achieved by: Disposing of properties which have already been declared surplus; Ending leases of rented properties when they expire or reach break points; Utilising robust asset management reviews to identify additional properties which can be declared surplus and recommended for disposal. (While there are a number of properties within the estate which can be identified as quick wins, closure of larger properties in the estate will drive out the greatest revenue savings); Disposing of residential properties which are not essential for the provision of policing services in remote areas; Identifying and disposing of large, former Headquarters buildings that are no longer fit for purpose or operationally required; and Rationalisation of facilities management contracts. 2.6 Management of the Estate The Estates Management Department within Police Scotland is responsible for the ongoing management and development of the police estate. The Department currently delivers a wide range of estate related services including design, space planning, estates management, contract administration and management, project management, construction procurement and facilities management. Delivery of these services is usually split between in house delivery by the Estates Department supplemented by the use of external consultants where appropriate. 25

31 2.6.2 The Estates Management Department will be responsible for the implementation of the actions identified in this Property Plan. With the introduction of Police Scotland the estates staff in the legacy organisations have formed a single Estates Management Department. The final structure for this Department has still to be agreed and a decision is required about whether the model adopted should be a centralised estate and design service, an out sourced model or a combination of both. Savings do need to be achieved from a reduced estates structure. This however, requires to be considered in the context of the considerable future work which is required to rationalise the estates portfolio. An Estates Management Structure which meets the requirements of Police Scotland to rationalise the estate while delivering efficiency savings requires to be identified, approved and implemented. Police Scotland will adopt a structure for the Estates Management Department which meets operational requirements but also delivers efficiencies. This supports the Strategic Principle to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources. 2.7 Objectives of the Property Plan This Property Plan will provide the framework which ensures that the strategic operational and business needs of Police Scotland are distilled into the property requirements and a number of action plans will be developed to implement the Plan which will: Identify the strategic estate priorities based on operational and business demands of the organisation; and Examine the existing property portfolio of Police Scotland in conjunction with current and future budgetary restraints and determine actions for progression which support strategic operational and business needs. Ultimately properties which no longer fit future requirements should be identified and considered for disposal. Projects which will enhance service delivery and positively impact on future efficiencies should be identified for progression. 26

32 3 Review of Operational and Business Requirements 3.1 Strategic Context This Property Plan is based upon and is aligned to the operational and business requirements of Police Scotland The strategic context in which the Service operates includes the Scottish Government s priorities, the Scottish Police Authority s objectives, and Police Scotland s priorities, in addition to the impact of wider public sector reform as fully outlined in Section 1.3 above To successfully implement these objectives and priorities, Police Scotland must ensure that organisationally it has the capability and capacity to deliver. The police estate is inextricably linked to ensuring the service can deliver operationally. To be effective in maximising service delivery to local communities, the accommodation from which operational officers and police staff operate must be in appropriate locations, have suitable facilities and efficient space utilisation. Police Scotland will introduce governance structures to ensure the delivery of a property strategy which is closely aligned to operational and business requirements. This supports the Strategic Principle to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources 3.2 Strategic Estate Priorities To identify the strategic estate priorities it is necessary to examine the estate requirements of the operational and corporate functions which comprise Police Scotland. These functions are listed below: Local Policing Community Response Public Protection, Divisional Crime and Intelligence Road Policing Divisional Administrative and Support Function Contact, Command and Control Custody Licensing and Violence Reduction 27

33 Operational Support Specialist Crime Corporate Support Departments Local Policing Local Policing, (which comprise of community, response, public protection, divisional crime and intelligence and road policing officers) along with divisional administrative and support functions are deployed from a range of operational police buildings across Scotland. In urban locations these buildings, in the main, are the former Divisional and Sub Divisional Headquarters of the legacy forces, many of which are poorly located, too large and are expensive to maintain. With the introduction of Police Scotland, the roll out of changing models of operational delivery and ICT developments, it is recognised that the current estate is not the most efficient in delivering operational policing services to local communities. There is duplication across the estate at a national and local level and there may be opportunities to centralise resources in strategically placed properties to enable the disposal of larger police buildings. It is important that a holistic approach is taken as investment in the national Specialist Divisions crosses divisional boundaries, impacting on Local Policing A significant percentage of existing buildings operate on a 24/7 basis which has a direct impact on operating costs and sustainability. As a result of technology demand for public access to police buildings is changing and is often low outwith normal working hours. While response, custody service centre and control rooms all require to be operational on a 24/7 basis many other facilities, including community policing, should be based on demand and have opening times suited to local requirements. There needs to be a close link between the Property Plan and the Public Counter Review as any subsequent recommendations will have implications for an overall disposal plan and for the Estates Management Department in relation to the installation of alarms, security measures and remote monitoring arrangements. Community Policing Community policing teams deliver effective and efficient community based policing to communities across Scotland. Local community policing teams provide visible, accessible and skilled policing to their local communities. Public concerns are identified and community policing teams respond with prompt, effective, targeted action to address concerns and provide appropriate feedback to the public. Partnership working is key to the work of the community policing teams which are vital in Police Scotland s ability to improve the safety and well being of people, places and communities across Scotland An Annual Police Plan has been developed and adopted by Police Scotland to direct policing activity. In addition to this plan however, 32 Local Policing Plans and 353 Multi Member Ward Plans have also been published across Scotland. These plans have been developed through consultation with communities, 28

34 partners and stakeholders and are intended to ensure delivery of policing services which address specific local issues within each of the multi member wards The size of community policing teams, which are based on local requirements, varies across Scotland. Teams in larger cities may have twenty or more officers and police staff while those in rural locations may only have two or three. The community policing teams are led by community policing sergeants and comprise of: community policing constables; campus officers (where deployed); and special constables. A fundamental principle of community policing is the consistent presence of a dedicated, visible and accessible team of officers who are operating within and are known to the local community. While there are community policing teams in each of the 353 multi member wards across Scotland, some teams are clustered together to provide operational resilience Central to the success of community policing is the ability of teams to deliver from within communities as opposed to into communities. This has crucial implications for each team s operational requirements. The structure of community policing reflects local demand and it follows that accommodation requirements will also vary for each team. As such, a range of accommodation solutions may be appropriate including the use of existing buildings, shop fronts, co-location with partner organisations for example, in schools, community centres, housing officers or the creation of specific multi partner one stop shops At the present time the majority of community policing teams deploy from existing properties across the estate. A number of these properties are poorly located, are large and expensive to run and maintain. It would be desirable therefore, for alternative locations to be found for some of teams, particularly if it would offer the opportunity to co- locate with other partner organisations. This has been emphasised by the Scottish Government and Police Scotland should be proactive in working with partner organisations to identify and progress options for shared services in delivering both operational and back office functions On 21 June 2013, the Scottish Government published an External Advisory Group Report on Community and Enterprise in Scotland s Town Centres and this could offer opportunities for community policing teams to play an important role in town centre regeneration projects. Being based in high street type locations, in addition to having a positive impact on town centre regeneration could have positive benefits for police visibility and accessibility. 29 Police Scotland will seek options for the provision of visible, accessible and cost efficient NOT PROTECTIVELY accommodation for MARKED community policing officers. This will enable the disposal of old, larger and inefficient buildings. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise property wherever possible.

35 Police Scotland will progress a Shared Services Agenda to explore opportunities for sharing corporate services with our partners but also to identify suitable options for co- location with partners in local communities. This supports the Strategic Principles to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources and to rationalise property wherever possible.. Response Policing The key priority for response policing teams is the ability to respond to incidents efficiently and effectively. Response teams require to be based in locations close to demand with good access to road networks. A response policing base is not primarily intended to be accessed by members of the public so out of town locations with good accessibility to road networks and vehicle parking facilities could offer suitable accommodation. It would be possible for response hubs or bases to accommodate other Divisional resources such as Divisional Road Policing and Divisional Crime Investigation Teams which do not require to be as accessible as community policing teams but do need easy access to local communities It is recognised that the wide geographical differences which exist across Scotland mean that large response hubs or bases are not likely to be suitable in rural locations. It is also acknowledged that response policing teams frequently deploy from existing properties which deliver a range of operational functions, including custody facilities. While a lack of capital funding in the current economic climate makes the delivery of a programme to deliver modern response and custody facilities difficult, it should still be highlighted that many of the properties in which response and custody teams are based are large, expensive, cellular in office design and do not enable modern and efficient working practices. In the meantime, to make savings, options which consider the centralisation of resources should be progressed to enable the vacation and disposal of other accommodation If there is a future opportunity to deliver response hubs either by the construction of purpose built facilities or by adaptation of existing premises this could offer options to make significant operational and financial efficiencies. The relocation of response teams and other divisional personnel to modern, flexible, cost effective premises could enable the Scottish Police Authority to 30

36 dispose of some larger, inefficient and aging premises, which do not fit the future requirements of Police Scotland. As such, although it is recognised that a roll out of response policing hubs across Scotland is not likely to be feasible in the short to medium term, without significant capital investment it is still considered that the future options for response policing should be considered as part of a disposal plan designed to reduce the overall estate footprint. Public Protection, Divisional Crime and Intelligence Although falling under the remit of Specialist Crime Division there are detective officers employed within the Local Policing Divisions. These officers include local crime investigation officers, divisional rape investigation officers, intelligence officers and police staff. These units require accommodation which provides investigation and interview facilities. These officers are currently deployed in operational police offices spread out across Scotland, often colocated with colleagues from response and community policing. It is important that a close connection continues to exist between officers involved in frontline service delivery to local communities. Divisional Road Policing Units Divisional Road Policing Units work under the command of the Local Divisional Commanders to address casualty reduction and target criminals using the roads, in addition to other local policing priorities. Similar to the response policing teams, the priority for the Divisional Road Policing Units is to be located in accommodation which is close to demand, has easy access to the road network and which has secure parking facilities. Police Scotland will review the deployment of Local Response Teams and other Divisional resources to identify buildings which no longer deliver operational requirements and which could be disposed of to generate capital receipts and reduce operating costs. This supports the Strategic Principles to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources and to rationalise property wherever possible. Contact, Command and Control Division Contact, Command and Control (C3) is a national division which provides frontline advice, support and assistance to the public, partners and the police. The Division operates on a 24/7 basis, resolving enquiries, prioritising tasks and incidents and supplying frontline officers and members of police staff with critical operational information The Division s service centres and control rooms are distributed throughout ten locations across Scotland (Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Stirling, Glenrothes, Glasgow (Govan), Glasgow (Pitt Street), Motherwell and Dumfries) 31

37 and they collectively manage over 4.2 million emergency and non emergency calls per year The service centres provide the initial point of contact between Police Scotland and the public via telephone, correspondence and web/ internet. Approximately 65% of calls are resolved at the first point of contact, by providing advice or guidance, sign posting to a more appropriate partner agency or organisation or by noting a crime report over the phone. For the calls which do require attendance by an officer, the control rooms are responsible for the command and control of all deployable resources to ongoing incidents. The accommodation requirements for C3 Division are highly specialist and heavily dependant the ICT Strategy. With the introduction of the single service there is an opportunity to rationalise the C3 estate to reduce the footprint and reduce costs and a specific C3 Asset Management Rationalisation Plan requires to be developed by the Division. Police Scotland will rationalise its Service Centres and Control Rooms to enhance service provision and make efficiency savings. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise property wherever possible. Custody Division Custody Division Custody Division is a national policing division which provides 42 primary custody centres across Scotland. There are three geographical custody command areas, North, East and West. The North Area has a total of 34 custody facilities which comprise 7 primary custody facilities at Aberdeen, Arbroath, Elgin, Fraserburgh, Dundee, Inverness and Perth supported by a further 27 secondary centres across the area. The East Area has a total of 21 custody facilities with 9 primary facilities at Falkirk, Stirling, St Leonard s, Livingston, Dalkeith, Hawick, Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline and Glenrothes supported by 12 secondary centres spread across the area. The West Area has a total of 41 custody facilities which comprise 26 primary centres and 15 secondary centres. Future investment should be focused on the primary custody facilities Police Scotland has inherited the Kittybrewster Project which commenced in January This project has three aims which are to: build modern cell accommodation for Aberdeen and the surrounding area, increasing cell capacity which will reduce the requirement to move prisoners and reduce the need to backfill custody staff with Divisional Police Officers; provide office space for Criminal Justice personnel to provide a closer partnership between Police Scotland and criminal justice partners; 32

38 provide a new operational base for the Kittybrewster Community Policing Team currently operating from a base out with its geographical area due to a lack of suitable accommodation Existing custody facilities tend to be based in operational properties which are in the main multi purpose and also accommodate response and community policing officers and this impacts on the opportunity for rationalisation of the estate. In the future separation of custody from local policing structures by providing purpose built stand alone custody centres would provide an opportunity to dispose of some buildings which are large and expensive to run. Although it is recognised that the lack of capital investment will make this difficult to achieve for the foreseeable future, it is crucial however, that there is an adequate supply of custody holding in the right locations across Scotland and that this is based on operational demand. The formation of Police Scotland and the approval of the i6 Programme provides an opportunity to review custody provision and to consider whether the current model provides best value for money. Options for the future provision of custody functions should be considered. This could include the provision of a more centralised model, either by the construction of new facilities or by adapting existing facilities, by building traditional or modular cells, shared service provision with the Prison Service and Court Service, the introduction of demand led opening or whether it would be more cost effective to out source custody provision completely. There are proposed custody capital projects which have been inherited from the legacy forces and it is important that careful consideration is given to these to ensure they are aligned to a future custody strategy for Scotland Custody facilities are key to the rationalisation of the wider estate as, the presence of custody facilities in a building in effect fixes the estate due to the lack of investment available to build alternative premises. Police Scotland will consider the options for the future provision of the Custody Division which is linked to operational demand and provide appropriate and cost effective custody facilities across Scotland. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise property wherever possible. Licensing and Violence Reduction Division The Licensing and Violence Reduction Division exists to promote Police Scotland s ability to target violence, disorder and anti social behaviour and to positively impact on abuse and misuse of alcohol which is often a causation factor for violent and disorderly behaviour. The Division supports Local Policing Divisions with professional advice and supplies additional resources to maximise effectiveness and reduce crime. The Division comprises the Domestic 33

39 Abuse Task Force, the Enforcement Section, Prevention, Intervention and Liquor, Civic and Gaming Licensing and Firearms and Explosives Licensing The Flexible Policing Unit and the Violence Reduction Unit which currently operate from Pitt Street in Glasgow, comprise officers seconded from the divisions in Local Policing West. This results from operational demand as 56% of violent incidents in Scotland occur in the west of the country. To enhance the performance of these Units it would be beneficial for them to be co-located in a facility which is close to operational demand and which offers opportunity for easy deployment in the west but is also close to the strategic road network so that they can be quickly deployed elsewhere in Scotland as operational demand dictates. Police Scotland will consider the options for accommodating the Licensing and Violence Reduction Division which ensures deployment close to areas of high demand but enables flexible deployment across Scotland. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise property wherever possible. Operational Support Division Operational Support Division (OSD) is a national policing division designed to support Local Policing and Specialist Crime Division through the provision of specialist trained officers, equipment and advice. The Division comprises a number of Business Units and includes National Road Policing, Licensed Negotiators Cadre, Specialist Services Department, Armed Policing, Specialist Operations, Public Order, CBRN and Exercise Programme Mass Point which is funded by the Scottish Government and has the remit to design, develop and deliver exercises to test the Police and Partner Agencies abilities to prepare for and manage terrorist investigations and incidents OSD s resources are distributed across Scotland, focused mainly in the highly populated areas. OSD personnel are accommodated over a range of building types which include operational and support officers and multi purpose facilities such as the Training and Recruitment Centre in South Lanarkshire. The distribution of resources across several locations can impact on operational effectiveness and this has been the case in relation to the Emergency, Events and Resilience Unit in the west, which is currently spread across several locations and would benefit from working in one location. OSD also has a requirement for specialist facilities such as those accommodated by the Mounted, Dog, Diving and Air Support Units. It is important that OSD resources are deployed in facilities which have adequate storage and training facilities and are in areas which enable quick deployment across Scotland. 34 Police Scotland will rationalise the property requirements of Operational Support Division while ensuring effective deployment of resources across Scotland, NOT PROTECTIVELY to support communities, MARKED enhance the planning and policing of major incidents and events. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise properties wherever possible.

40 Specialist Crime Division The Specialist Crime Division comprises Major Crime, Public Protection, Rape Investigation and Review, Human Trafficking, Intelligence, Covert Policing, Safer Communities, Crime Strategy, Learning and Development, Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism and Borders Policing. Specialist Crime Division has a specific need for covert facilities and significant investment in the ICT/ Security infrastructure. In April 2013, Specialist Crime Division created a short term working group known as CrimeSecure to enable and commence delivery of the physical infrastructure, ICT connectivity and the business model required to achieve the business change involved in migrating nine organisations into one Specialist Crime Division As part of its remit and in line with the future migration to Gartcosh, CrimeSecure has scoped the existing and proposed estate in respect of the operational and business need for the Specialist Crime Division. It has taken account of factors such as geographical location, office and fleet requirements, current and future ICT connectivity, physical security, disaster recovery, business continuity, change costs and on going operating costs. The Crime Estates Strategy has been developed which delivers operational and business benefits not only for the Specialist Crime Division but also for the broader police estate. The specialist facilities required have been a key reason why leased buildings will continue to be retained in this area. Police Scotland will rationalise the property requirements of Specialist Crime Division to ensure the effective deployment of resources across Scotland, and to ensure consideration is given to future developments in technology and legislative requirements. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise property wherever possible. Corporate Departments There are a number of Departments in Police Scotland which either interface with the public or provide specialist or organisational support to Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority. Some of these Departments have the requirement for specialist functions such as Training, Education and Development, Professional Standards, Counter Corruption and Transport and 35

41 Police Scotland Logistics There are other Departments however such as Finance, Analysis and Performance and Information Management which operate effectively from standard type office accommodation. Personnel delivering these functions are largely accommodated within the eight former Headquarters buildings. At the current time there are around 4000 personnel working within these buildings which have aro per person. This is more than double the recommended 8- advocated by the Scottish Government. It is critical therefore, that the accommodation requirements for the Corporate Departments are closely examined with a future rationalisation plan for the former Headquarters properties and that suitable accommodation is identified for these corporate functions in line with an overall Corporate Strategy. Further information in relation to this is contained within Section 3 of this Report and action number 24 details the work to be undertaken It is recognised that larger buildings with multi functions take time to rationalise but there needs to be a future planning programme. In the meantime however, since a high proportion of the Corporate Departments are in leased premises the default position should be to give up back office leases and relocate personnel to other premises when the opportunity arises. Again further information in relation to leases is considered in Section 3 of this Report which has identified the need for a Lease Termination Plan in Action It is paramount that Police Scotland, in the future delivery of its corporate functions, examines the opportunities which could be achieved by following a shared services agenda. As highlighted earlier in this Report, collaboration and integration are key to public sector reform and the government expects to see a much wider application of shared services. A shared services agenda is not simply about centralisation and consolidation of similar activities in one location, but rather it is about convergence and streamlining of similar functions within or across organisations to achieve an efficient and effective delivery model. A proactive approach by Police Scotland to the shared services agenda could provide opportunities for co-location of resources with partners and this could have a significant impact on the Corporate Strategy and the future accommodation requirements for some Departments. This was actioned earlier in the Report in relation to the recommendation for the establishment of a Shared Services Advisory Group to investigate opportunities for collaborative working and identify opportunities for co-location in local communities. Legal Responsibilities and National Policing Processes The i6 Programme which has been ratified by the Scottish Police Authority will reform the key functions which support operational policing. The purpose of the i6 Programme is to reduce the bureaucratic burden on officers, enabling them to be more visible in communities. It represents an investment in frontline services and an opportunity to deliver considerable and sustained benefits over the longer term to our staff, partners and communities. The i6 Programme will deliver a single, modern, national, integrated IT solution across six national policing processes, which include crime, criminal justice, 36

42 custody, vulnerable persons, missing persons, and property (this includes production, lost, found and abandoned property with full auditing and tracking). Given the significant investment in i6, it is crucial that opportunities to maximise benefits are backed up by having suitable estate provision, particularly in relation to custody and property The requirement for an effective Plan and Asset and Rationalisation Plan for Custody Division is outlined earlier in the Report. In regard to the management and storage of production and lost, found and abandoned property however, significant improvements are required. At the present time these processes are undertaken by personnel who are spread across multiple locations throughout the estate. Current practices lead to duplication, inefficiency and property being stored in inappropriate locations all of which can leave the organisation open to risk and damage to reputation. Centralised holding of productions and lost and found property at key locations across Scotland could not only enhance the logging, tracking and storage of items, which will be provided by i6, but could also offer an opportunity to make savings from staff rationalisation. Opportunities to centralise these functions either by acquiring purpose built storage facilities or by remodelling space, which may become available though rationalisation of the wider estate, would be an important factor in the overall Property Plan and would maximise the benefits to be obtained from i6. Police Scotland will review the arrangements for the management and storage of productions and lost, found and abandoned property and identify a model which maximises the benefits of the i6 programme, and identifies further savings along with enhanced service delivery. This supports the Strategic Principles to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources and to rationalise property wherever possible. 3.3 Asset Management and Effective Use of Resources Asset management is a key theme within the Scottish Government s agenda. In January 2008 the Scottish Government published its Asset Management Review which identified the importance of effective management and use of resources in relation to property assets. While the 2008 Review focused on the Government Estate, the establishment of the Scottish Police Authority on 1 April 2013, means there is now a requirement to ensure the recommendations of the 2008 Government Review are complied with. There is a need to : ensure that an Asset Management Plan is in place to regularly consider how to maximise best use of assets; maintain a mandatory, single, comprehensive database of property information to promote and assist decision making; 37

43 agree a set of roles, responsibilities and expectations regarding the management of assets which provides clear structures and accountability; ensure that the mandatory procedures contained within the Scottish Public Finance Manual and the HM Treasury Green Book for disposals of surplus or vacant property and for acquisitions of property are known and adhered to thus ensuring a consistent, rigorous and auditable procedure; and implement the use of agreed, standardised, performance targets and benchmarking criteria for land and buildings to help achieve continuous improvement in the performance of the estate and to help identify property service requirements and the realisation of efficiency savings In March 2009 the Scottish Government published its report Improved Asset Management and the Location of Public Sector Organisations. This provided guidance on the process to be followed where a public sector organisation is considering future accommodation requirements. The Guidance states that when a public sector organisation is considering its future accommodation requirements, there should be a presumption in favour of suitable solutions from within the Government estate. This includes the requirement to carry out a business needs analysis to determine suitable accommodation and location requirements. Having carried out a business needs analysis, the organisation has to carry out an Options Appraisal in accordance with HM Treasury Green Book. This will ensure a range of options, including the status quo are appraised so that a net present cost can be prepared for each option in order to facilitate a consistent comparison of the costs over the lifetime of an asset. This allows for informed decision making to be made based on economic sustainability and operational need. A Full Business Case which meets these standards has been prepared for a proposal to acquire an operational policing facility in Dalmarnock, Glasgow. This Business Case has been submitted to the Scottish Police Authority and the Scottish Government for consideration. In the future, Business Cases in this format will be required for all significant property proposals and should be adopted for those which are likely to exceed a value of 2 million Whilst the Scottish Public Finance Manual is geared towards major projects, it does indicate that the general principles remain the same for smaller projects, although some of the procedures may be simplified in the interests of efficiency and proportionality. It is proposed therefore, that all projects with an estimated value in excess of 200,000 will be subject to an Options Appraisal Process which will require to be approved by Police Scotland and ratified by the Scottish Police Authority prior to proceeding with the project While it is critical that operational need drives the property requirement there also needs to be an overall strategic approach to ensure a consistent and coordinated approach is taken to developing requirements. Police Scotland has developed this Property Plan which will be presented to the Scottish Police Authority and this will establish the priorities and actions which will ensure a strategic approach is taken and that the property requirements are based on the operational and business needs of the organisation. 38

44 3.3.5 It is also imperative that there is a clear structure defining the roles, responsibilities and governance of property projects. Police Scotland will address this by introducing a Corporate Asset Management Board and an Operational Estates Forum. To ensure that the Corporate Asset Management Plan remains closely linked to operational and business requirements, it is suggested that the Local Policing Divisions along with the national Specialist Divisions develop Asset Management and Rationalisation Plans which are aligned and feed into the overall Corporate Asset Management Plan A comprehensive Asset Management System should be in place to allow detailed performance assessments to be made of existing properties. A range of data has been collected by the Estates Management Department regarding the size, age, condition and operating costs of the buildings which comprise the police estate. Currently this information is contained on eight separate asset management systems which were previously operated by the legacy Forces. Notwithstanding a Corporate Police Property Database exists on the E- Pims system however it is simply a database and not an asset management software system. There is now a requirement to consolidate the information held by legacy forces into one corporate Asset Management System Given the requirement for Business Needs Analysis and Options Appraisals to be carried out for property projects, it is recognised that there is a need for additional support to be provided to Divisional Commanders and Heads of Departments to assist them in the preparation of consistent corporate Business Plans which are capable of meeting the scrutiny of the Scottish Police Authority and the Scottish Government. A template for use by Commanders will be developed, with additional support provided by the Estates Management Department. Police Scotland will meet the Scottish Government s requirements for effective asset management by developing a Corporate Asset Management and Rationalisation Plan, a single comprehensive Asset Management System, establish clear governance arrangements for asset management, introduce agreed and standardised performance targets/benchmarking criteria for land and buildings and ensure that Business Cases which includes an analysis of business need and options appraisal for all property acquisitions/disposals over 200,000. This supports the Strategic Principles to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources and to rationalise property wherever possible. Carbon Management The legacy organisations commenced their Carbon Management Programmes in 2009 and 2010, producing individual Carbon Management Plans. The estimated carbon emissions of the estate across Scotland for 2011/2012 amounted to 73,292 tonnes and the target was to reduce this figure by 20% 39

45 from the baseline year 2009/2010 by 2014/2015. Property contributes to over 70% of total emissions for Police Scotland. Although the legacy organisations had performed reasonably well, with a downward trend in carbon emissions over the past three years, they were not managing to implement carbon savings as quickly as required and it looked unlikely that their carbon reduction targets were going to be met With the formation of Police Scotland a review of the previous plans is being conducted and a new combined plan will be developed. The new Plan will review the carbon savings projects which are planned in the short to medium term along with the impact of anticipated changes to the police estate. An updated reduction target on the baseline will be set for achievement by 2015/ As there is a direct correlation between energy cost and carbon reduction, it must be a priority for Police Scotland to reduce both by taking steps to dispose of properties which perform poorly and upgrade premises which are required to be retained and by introducing systems which save energy such as installation of an automatic light and computer switch off software The carbon saving projects included in this plan requires total funding of around 1 million for 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 and 0.5 million for 2015/2016. To meet these costs the Authority will have to allocate funding for this. Police Scotland will develop and implement a revised Carbon Management Plan. This supports the Strategic Principle to provide sustainable buildings which drive efficiencies. Facilities Management Contracts As indicated above, approximately two thirds of the annual estate revenue spend is already fixed or contractually set, meaning that there is limited capacity in the short to medium term to make cost efficiencies. This includes rentals, rates, statutory compliance testing and maintenance and energy costs, which are either fixed by statutory legislation, previous lease agreements or have been procured as part of a national procurement contract. In the past however, each of the legacy forces and organisations had separate arrangements in place for repairs, maintenance and cyclical maintenance. Proposals are being developed which will amalgamate all hard and soft facilities management contracts into a limited number of national contracts. It is anticipated that this work will take months to complete but the savings which will accrue from the streamlining of contracts is expected to be in the region of 2 million. It is crucial that this activity to rationalise these contracts remains a priority and that careful scrutiny is given in the meantime, to any proposal to agree individual or localised contracts with suppliers One area of major contractual spend is in relation to cleaning. The legacy organisations used different methods, which included in house cleaners, use of 40

46 Council cleaning services and out sourced services. Standardisation of service delivery and cleaning specifications could generate significant savings. The provision of cleaning services should be reviewed and a Business Case should be developed which provides the most efficient model for Police Scotland. Police Scotland will consolidate contracts for hard and soft facilities management and adopt a cost effective model for the provision of cleaning services. This supports the Strategic Principle to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources. Alignment with ICT Strategy Property Asset Management and rationalisation must be closely aligned with the ICT Strategy. The property and ICT functions are interdependent and cannot be operated in isolation. The rationalisation of property is completely dependent on the availability of the right technology and the personnel to relocate ICT systems and the adoption of modern working practices will require ICT investment. Often the presence of ICT equipment in buildings can fix the estate. The presence of servers within buildings, for example, could impact on disposal plans and the cost of relocating ICT systems must be considered as part of any business case for estate change. It is crucial therefore, that ICT personnel are involved in the review of assets and properties which will be carried out. Police Scotland will ensure that there is a close alignment between the property and ICT strategies. This supports the Strategic Principle to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources. 41

47 4 Review of the Existing Estate 4.1 Introduction This section sets out information about the existing police estate and not only focuses on the operational estate but also includes an overview of all accommodation which transferred to the Scottish Police Authority on 1 April The Scottish Police Authority inherited a significant number of properties which now need to be evaluated in line with the future operational and business requirements of the entire geographical area of Scotland. The estate has a wide variety of operational and non-operational premises including a number with specialist facilities. While most of these properties are owned by the Scottish Police Authority, around 15% of them are leased. Following the move to a single service, any new leases which now require to be taken are likely to be taken in the names of the Scottish Ministers to offer the Government more flexibility in managing the overall public sector estate The police estate can be broadly categorised into the functions outlined below: Operational estate; Major Investment Projects; Residential properties; Surplus properties; and Radio masts. 4.2 Operational Estate The majority of the estate which has been inherited by the Scottish Police Authority is utilised to support the operational delivery of Police Scotland and can be characterised as follows: Divisional/ Operational Stations and Offices These buildings are the operational police stations from which policing services are delivered to local communities across Scotland. In urban areas these properties include buildings which were typically the former Divisional and Sub Divisional offices within the legacy forces and also smaller police offices or police posts which exist in more rural locations. Many of these buildings have custody facilities. Specialist Support / Operational Buildings 42 These properties include those which provide or support frontline service provision by C3, Operational Support Division, Specialist Crime Division, People and Development and Transport and Logistics. These premises include service

48 centres and control rooms, offices with enhanced levels of security, firing ranges, stables, kennels, training facilities, garages, workshops and stores. Strategic/ Specialist Support These properties include strategic buildings such as Force Headquarters, the Executive Command Base at Stirling, the future Crime Campus at Gartcosh and the former legacy headquarters facilities. These buildings typically accommodate personnel working within the Corporate Services Departments There are 108 buildings which have a gross internal area comprising over Appendix C. Of these, 14 properties are leased with the remainder being owned by the Scottish Police Authority. The disposal of these larger properties will achieve the most significant savings. Property costs are second only to people costs and if Police Scotland is to be successful in addressing the Scottish Government s efficiency agenda, it is necessary that rationalisation of the police estate is prioritised. In terms of meeting budgetary reductions the correct balance requires to be achieved between making savings, meeting public requirements and delivering operational effectiveness Property requirements are changing. It is necessary that Police Scotland looks at different methods of delivering services to the public. It may be possible for example to share premises with other public sector partners. In line with current government space requirements, opportunities should be progressed which enable the adoption of modern working practices and the utilising of open plan facilities. Increasingly public contact comes via the telephone and rather than attendance at police offices and while the provision of visible and accessible services is essential to service delivery, it is not necessary that this is delivered using the existing estate. The Public Counter Review has, for example, established core police offices which should be open to the public 24/7 and others which could have reduced opening times or public access enabling policing services to be delivered to the community in other ways With the introduction of Police Scotland it is now necessary that the operational estate is evaluated so that evidence based decisions can be made about properties which should be retained and those which could be declared surplus and disposed of as part of an overall disposal plan. These properties will be evaluated against a pre-determined set of criteria, which includes; o o o o o Operational needs and suitability; Location and fit with the delivery of local policing services; Property running costs; Reliability and resilience; Flexibility of space; 43

49 o Disposal value; o Level of back log maintenance; o Environmental impact; and o Visibility and Public Accessibility A range of data has been collected by the Estates Department regarding the size, age, condition and operating costs of the buildings comprising the police estate. It is necessary, however, that a process is carried out by the Divisional Commanders to review the buildings within their local policing areas and to take account of operational requirements based on factors such as community needs, crime demographics and the distances between police offices combined with the information currently held on the asset databases and the information obtained from the Public Counters Review. Using this information, Divisional Asset Management and Rationalisation Plans should be developed which give clear indications whether properties are to be retained or be disposed of. These Divisional Plans will inform the Corporate Asset Management Plan and will enable an overall Action Plan to be developed to implement a rationalisation and disposal programme across Scotland. This was identified earlier in the Report and Action 7 has been identified to progress this activity There are 117 properties (15%) within the portfolio which are leased. Although the legacy organisations had sound reasons for doing this in order to address prevailing financial constraints, the position should be to identify and terminate leases which no longer offer value or were the leased accommodation needs can be met from owned or other public sector properties, unless there are sound operational and/or business requirements for their retention Work has already commenced to give up leases. Already 100,000 annual rental value has been disposed of and within the next three years there are a number of further leases which can be terminated. These, however, will require significant personnel relocations to other freehold or other long leased buildings and are dependent on other projects which are coming on line, such as the Crime Campus at Gartcosh and the proposed operational police facility at Dalmarnock. These two major projects hold the key to significant asset churn and realisation of savings from the disposal of surplus assets and leases in the West of Scotland. These can be achieved with the completion of Gartcosh in 2014 and of Dalmarnock in While it is advocated that expensive leases should be given up, it is not suggested that there should be a blanket ban on all leased properties and there will be future opportunities where cost effective lease options can efficiently meet operational and business requirements. Such options, however, would be expected to have arisen from a Business Case which has assessed the business need and evidenced the most cost effective option for delivery through an options appraisal. It is essential that work continues to identify and terminate property leases, which are not required for operational 44

50 reasons, to make efficiency savings. This has been detailed in action number 24 within this Property Plan. Police Scotland will make efficiency savings by disposing of leased properties which are not required for operational reasons In This addition supports to the the above Strategic evaluations, Principle it is also to necessary maximise that assets the buildings by making which support the delive best use of financial resources. Former Headquarters Buildings The former Headquarters facilities which served the legacy forces occupy in the total estate. These buildings in general, are no longer fit for purpose, are expensive to run and are in the wrong locations. The buildings which range in age and condition are often cellular in nature and do not lend themselves to modern working practices. There are approximately 4000 personnel working within these facilities which equates to a spa This is more than double the current Scottish Government Guidelines for office accommodation which recommends 8- Scottish Police College The Scottish Police College is a 90 acre site which has been utilised for Police Training since It is owned by the Scottish Government which provides use rent free to the police. The College provides training for approximately 6,000 students per annum attending around 317 courses. It hosts conferences and seminars for police and external organisations, generating an income of 1,754 million from international training provision, weekend leases and the external supply of training. It can provide overnight accommodation for 792 people in 479 bedrooms. It currently has running costs which amount to million. There has been a lack of investment in the accommodation with the last refurbishment taking place in 2003/2004. It is important that the continued retention of the College is considered as part of a wider rationalisation plan for the legacy training establishments throughout Scotland including the lease of the Jackton facility at a cost of 4.72 million per annum. There is an opportunity to invest in the International Development Unit at the College to increase the revenue raised from the provision of training courses particularly to European and Commonwealth Police Forces along with training to other public and private sector organisations. A percentage of this revenue could be utilised to reinvest in refurbishing the college. Police Scotland will conduct a review of the strategic support properties to identify which properties deliver the future needs of Police Scotland. This review will include: Legacy FHQ buildings; Scottish Police College and other legacy training facilities; Functional buildings such as garages, workshops and stables. 45 This supports the Strategic Principles, to maximise assets by making best use of NOT financial PROTECTIVELY resources, to rationalise MARKED property wherever possible and to promote opportunities to work collaboratively with public sector partners.

51 4.3 Major Investment Projects There are a number of legally committed capital projects which have been inherited from the former organisations. These projects include the Scottish Crime Campus at Gartcosh, the new custody facility at Kittybrewster and the new operational offices at Fort William and Drumchapel. These projects also include the proposal to acquire a new operational policing facility at Dalmarnock, the details of which are outlined below It is recognised that capital funding will be scarce and that future bids for major capital investment have to be directed to projects and works which provide the maximum opportunity for benefits and service improvement and provide an opportunity for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority to make additional savings. As indicated earlier in the Report there is a requirement for the Scottish Police Authority to meet the conditions within the Scottish Public Finance Manual and HM Treasury s Green Book when proposing to acquire or dispose of property. When delivering significant capital investment projects it will be necessary for Business Cases to be developed and submitted to the Authority which clearly evidence the business need for the acquisition and which outline an option appraisal that considers the most cost effective option for meeting the need, based on the net present costs over the lifetime of the project. The preferred option must be affordable, deliver best value and have strong governance arrangements in place to ensure delivery. Acquisitions over 5 million require to be submitted to the Scottish Government for Gateway Review A Business Case which meets the above requirements and which provides a comprehensive assessment of a proposal for Police Scotland to relocate its west operating base from the current estate at Pitt Street, Glasgow to a new purpose built operational facility in Dalmarnock, being constructed and made available to the Scottish Police Authority by the Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company (Clyde Gateway), has been submitted to the Scottish Police Authority for consideration The proposal originally commenced in 2008 as an opportunity to replace the former Strathclyde Police Force Headquarters with a purpose built facility. The project was developed under the direction of the former Strathclyde Police Authority and included the development of: An Outline Business Case 2009; A Full Business Case (Stage 1) ; 46

52 A Full Business Case (Stage 2) Following the announcement in September 2011 of the Scottish Government s intention to create a single police service for Scotland, written notification was received from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice in January 2012 instructing that the decision about the project be put on hold and left for the consideration of the Scottish Police Authority Following the allocation by the Scottish Government to Clyde Gateway of additional funding to utilise for projects capable of encouraging economic growth and Clyde Gateway s decision to use this funding to construct the police building on a speculative basis, this project has been re-prioritised. On completion of the building, Clyde Gateway has proposed leasing it to the Scottish Police Authority to use as a strategic operational police facility for delivery of policing services in the west of Scotland The Dalmarnock Business Case fully assesses the requirement for a strategic operational police facility in the West of Scotland and clearly demonstrates the importance of acquiring a facility to deliver key policing services to local communities. It recognises the necessity to move operations from the current facility at Pitt Street in order that efficiency savings can be made. In addition to the capital and revenue savings which will be achieved by the relocating, the Business Case also identifies that the acquisition of a modern, purpose built flexible facility is a key enabler in the rationalisation of the wider Police estate in Scotland, which will generate further potential savings for the Scottish Police Authority Overall the Business Case demonstrates that the proposal to relocate from Pitt Street to Dalmarnock is attractive, affordable and achievable and fully aligned with this Property Plan. It is a unique opportunity for the Scottish Police Authority to acquire a property which will enable enhanced service provision and will unlock future efficiency savings. The acquisition of the Dalmarnock facility is aligned to and is instrumental in delivering actions identified in this Property Plan, particularly those to rationalise the former FHQ buildings, the wider operational estate and the requirement to make savings from a reduction in operating costs. Failure to approve the Dalmarnock Business Case will leave the Authority open to significant risk in relation to its ability to maximise savings from rationalisation of the estate. 4.4 Residential Properties On 22 August 2013 there were 185 residential properties within the police estate. These properties are predominantly in rural locations across Scotland, with the majority of them in Northern, Grampian and Argyll and Bute. The residential property can be split into three categories: houses attached to, or part of, an operational police station or post where provision of policing services would not be possible without supported housing; 47

53 houses within a locality where a larger police office is located and are allocated as part of a transfer package; purpose built or converted buildings or houses providing single room accommodation for officers Most of the residential properties which are now owned by the Police Authority arise from a traditional approach to providing housing for police officers deployed in rural areas. While some residential property is still required to provide policing services in remote areas, it is questionable whether it is necessary for the Scottish Police Authority to provide accommodation for officers outwith these locations and, given the drive towards a partnership approach, it may be appropriate that, in areas where accommodation needs to be provided for operational reasons, this is done in conjunction with other emergency services There are a number of legacy occupancies with officers and non police tenants occupying houses that are not essential to Police Scotland but where officers have not taken up an opportunity to purchase and these properties now need to be disposed of The former Grampian Police area has twenty houses that are rented to Aberdeen City Council, which generates an income of 70,000 per annum Steps were already being taken by the legacy Forces to rationalise their residential estate. Given the considerable capital investment tied up in the residential assets, where properties do not require to be retained for operational reasons, steps should be taken to dispose of them to generate capital receipts and to reduce the burden of managing them. Prior to progressing the sale of these properties however, a Residential Disposal and Management Programme requires to be agreed by the Scottish Police Authority. This programme will set out the basis on which disposals are progressed and will review the operational need to obtain the best fit housing solution for officers as identified by the Divisional Commanders. These solutions must maximise capital receipts and reduce revenue costs. The Scottish Police Authority has no statutory authority to act as a registered landlord and the policy should be to only retain residential property where there is a clear operational requirement which cannot be met from external provision At the present time, housing stock is managed in house by the Estates Department. A review of the most cost effective method of carrying out this role for the remaining operationally essential residential properties requires to be conducted to establish if it would be beneficial to outsource the building management function to a registered social landlord There are also proposals for the construction and upgrading of hostels which appear on the Capital Plan and which were inherited from the former Northern Constabulary. It is important that, prior to progressing with these works, the requirements for these hostels are evaluated with regard to the operational and business needs of Police Scotland 48

54 Police Scotland will review and rationalise the residential estate, identify a model for managing the remaining residential estate required to deliver operational delivery. This supports the Strategic Principles to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources and to rationalise property wherever possible. 4.5 Surplus Properties There are a number of police properties which have already been declared surplus by legacy forces and on the 16 May 2013 the Scottish Police Authority gave permission to proceed with the disposals of these properties. Details of these properties are outlined at Appendix D and work has commenced in this regard Following an initial review with Divisional Commanders, further properties have been identified as quick wins for disposal. These properties are largely redundant and are no longer in operational use and immediate steps should be taken to obtain Scottish Police Authority approval to declare these buildings surplus. Disposal of these properties would generate capital receipts and would reduce operating costs. Police Scotland will dispose of properties which have been declared surplus and will identify further properties which are redundant and could be set for disposal. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise property whenever possible. 4.6 Radio Masts The Scottish Police Authority has inherited 142 radio sites with the masts network initially set up in the late 1970 s to host the VHF network. This network was expanded over the years and in 2004, with the introduction of Airwave, the network was outsourced to a commercial organisation. Since 2008, following the identification of a lack of requirement, a number of sites was decommissioned. Those which have been retained, however, are on police buildings where it was considered that disposal was not practical. Some of these masts have an operational function or host airwave equipment under Police Site Share Agreements and generate income via third party leases. 49

55 4.6.2 A break down of the current income received by the Scottish Police Authority for utilising radio masts is detailed below: Mast Income Total ( s) On buildings 752,200 Hill Sites 2,728,408 Total 3,480, Network consolidation by communication providers is a threat to the level of income which is achievable from the radio sites/ masts. On a positive side however, OFCOM will be releasing the 4G spectrum in early 2013 which could drive new investment in networks and further competition between communication providers which could benefit the Authority by providing opportunity to increase revenue streams While the annual income stream for the masts is 3.48 million and has the potential to grow, the radio masts sites do, however, attract a substantial management fee, landlord lease costs and maintenance costs of around 1.2 million per annum, which results in an annual net income steam of 2.3 million. On the other hand it is estimated that the sale of the radio masts could generate in the region of 25 million based on initial market values Given the capital values involved in the radio masts sites and the lucrative income stream generated by them it is imperative that detailed consideration is given to the continued retention of these masts by the Scottish Police Authority. A Business Case should be developed which considers the options and, based on detailed financial modelling, determines the most cost effective option for the Scottish Police Authority over the medium to longer term. Police Scotland will review the options in relation to the continued retention of radio masts and prepare a business case which provides recommendations as to the most cost effective options for the Police Authority. This supports the Strategic Principle to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources. 50

56 5 Delivery of the Property Plan 5.1 Governance and Performance While it is critical that operational and business needs drive property requirements an overall strategic approach must be taken which results in a consistent and co-ordinated delivery. It is recognised that the strategic changes in the operation of Police Scotland are likely to impact on accommodation requirements. With the wide range of potential property demands and the limited capital funding available there must be prioritisation of projects across the estate Although a strategic approach must be adopted, this however, needs to be balanced with the ability for flexibility to progress opportunities which arise from on going work, provided that the proposals fit in with the overall Property Plan. This has been crucial in consideration of the proposal to relocate personnel to the proposed operational facility at Dalmarnock and it may be particularly important in progressing future opportunities for collaborative working As such a robust governance structure requires to be adopted within Police Scotland which outlines the roles and responsibility for delivery of the Property Plan and which can oversee specific property projects which are either, proposed or approved for delivery. As previously indicated in this Report an Operational Estates Forum will be established under the Chair of the Assistant Chief Constable (North) to assess competing operational and business priorities and ensure appropriate Business Cases are provided for scrutiny by Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority and when necessary, Scottish Ministers. All property projects must be considered on an estate- wide basis to ensure their overall fit and to maximise potential operational benefits and efficiencies for the Service. This Estates Forum will comprise representatives from the Local Policing and Specialist Divisions and the Corporate Departments, particularly Estates Management, Finance, ICT, People and Development. The Estates Forum will feed into the Corporate Asset Management Board which will oversee Property, Fleet and ICT investment. The Governance Structure is outlined below. 51

57 Governance Structure Scottish Police Authority Police Scotland Senior Leadership Board Corporate Asset Management Board Operational Estates Forum Fleet Investment ICT Investment It is accepted that governance structures will further develop through dialogue with the Scottish Police Authority to ensure closer integration and engagement of Scottish Police Authority members and officials As indicated in earlier in this Report, Local Policing and Specialist Divisions, along with corporate functions, will have responsibility for developing Divisional Asset Management and Rationalisation Plans which will develop local estate strategies based on operational requirements. This activity will be supported by the Estates Management Department As identified earlier in the Report, it is recognised that Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority, when acquiring or disposing of property in the future, will have to comply with the provisions contained within the Scottish Public Finance Manual and HM Treasury s Green Book. This means that there will be a requirement for significant projects to develop Business Cases which clearly outline business need and conduct option appraisals to evidence best value options over the whole life of projects. These Business Cases may require, depending on the value, to under go internal health checks or Gateway Reviews by the Scottish Government. The Estates Management Department supported by Divisions and Corporate Departments will prepare these reports To support the Property Plan, Police Scotland Estates Management Department will utilise a range of implementation plans, which will be given dedicated owners who will be responsible for monitoring progress and reporting back at 52

58 the Operational Estates Forum. In addition, a single corporate database will be created and the information contained within it will be utilised by members of the Forum to develop priorities for delivery. Occupancy rates of buildings across the Estate will continue to be managed to ensure benefits are being realised and efficiencies are being achieved and that the estate is being used to maximum effect. Performance indicators will be devised which will monitor the performance and usage of the estate and will include measures such as the cost per person, square metres per person, energy consumption and capital receipts achieved. 5.2 Communication and Engagement Plan Communities, partners and stakeholders served by Police Scotland will require information about the operation of, and proposals for, the police estate. Closure of surplus police offices can be emotive for communities and a Communication and Engagement Plan, which enables the public to have a wider understanding of our operational delivery model and how policing can be delivered from a different estate, requires to be developed. This plan should explain the benefits of a rationalised but locally tailored approach to delivering local and specialist policing along with timescales and potential changes. It is equally important to communicate internally with our people as the rationalisation of the estate will have a direct impact on where people work The Communication and Engagement Plan should cover four strands: Strand 1 Strand 2 This should see the creation of a high level summary document which is suitable for the internal and external environment. It should be published on Police Scotland s Intranet and Web site and it should provide a corporate high level view of the direction of travel and an indication of the processes which will be followed. Divisions should consult at a local level about the Divisional requirements which are outlined in their Divisional Asset Management and Rationalisation Plans. Strand 3 This will involve site specific communication and consultation regarding the delivery of individual projects to meet the requirements for planning applications. Strand 4 Once specific plans are in place in respect of the closure of premises and the relocation of personnel, consultation will take place with the Unions and Staff Associations and affected personnel Communication and Engagement should not be considered a one off activity and regular briefings and updates should be given regarding the progress of actions, projects and potential changes to operational or business requirements. 53

59 5.2.4 The Scottish Police Authority will have a particular interest in ensuring that there has been meaningful engagement with communities and stakeholders in all cases where police offices are being considered for disposal. Police Scotland will implement a Communication and Engagement Plan for estate rationalisation which outlines the high level direction of travel and enables local engagement with communities and stakeholders for proposed plans and which includes with personnel, union and staff associations. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise the estate wherever possible. 54

60 6 Property Action Plan 6.1 The Property Action Plan for Police Scotland which has been developed from this Property Plan and is set out in Appendix A. This has evolved from the review of the operational and business needs of Police Scotland and of the estate inherited from the legacy organisations. A table which has been prepared by the Estates Management Department is attached at Appendix G and sets out a timetable for revenue savings and capital receipts over the next five years based on the actions identified in this Property Plan. It is emphasised however that these savings are indicative and dependent on investment and it would be anticipated that the successful rationalisation of the estate and future partnership activity arising from a shared services approach could result in an increase to these figures. This Property Plan has set out the direction of travel for Police Scotland and it is considered that these actions are essential to its successful delivery. If implemented, Police Scotland will operate from a leaner and more efficient estate which is closely tied to operational and business needs. The Scottish Police Authority will be able to realise savings from reduced operating costs of the estate which can be re invested into enhancing frontline service delivery of policing services across Scotland. 55

61 APPENDICES: APPENDIX A - PROPERTY ACTION PLAN APPENDIX B - BREAKDOWN OF PROPERTIES BY CATEGORY APPENDIX C - SPA/PSoS PROPERTY OVER 1,000 m² (OWNED OR LEASED) APPENDIX D SALES IN PROPERTY MARKETED OR NEARLY MARKETED 1/9/13 APPENDIX E SUMMARY OF THE CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2013/14 APPENDIX F CAPITAL PROJECTS /2014 PROGRAMME APPENDIX G- TIMETABLE FOR REVENUE SAVINGS/CAPITAL RECEIPTS. 56

62 APPENDIX A: PROPERTY ACTION PLAN Police Scotland will engage with the Scottish Futures Trust and the Scottish Government Property Controls Team in relation to asset management, for the delivery of future property projects and to assist with the identification of opportunities for shared service provision. This supports the Strategic principle to promote opportunities to work collaboratively with public sector partners. Action Number 01 Details of Action Owner Timescale The Estates Management Department will engage with the Scottish Futures Trust and progress the offer of assistance in running a programme of joint workshops with partners to identify opportunities for shared services. The Estates Management Department will engage with the Scottish Government Property Controls Team to ensure effective asset management and for delivery of future property projects. Head of Estates Management October-December 2013 Police Scotland will review the capital projects from legacy organisations and determine which meet Police Scotland s operational and business requirements for future progression This supports the Strategic Principle to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources. Action Number Details of Action Owner Timescale 02 Review the capital projects from legacy organisations and determine which meet Police Scotland s operational and business requirements for future progression. Force Executive September

63 Police Scotland will adopt a structure for the Estates Management Department which meets operational requirements but also delivers efficiencies. This supports the Strategic Principle to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources. Action Number 03 Details of Action Owner Timescale The Estates Management Department will propose a structure which delivers efficiencies but meets operational requirements for approval by the Senior Leadership Board and the Scottish Police Authority. Head of Estates Management November 2013 Police Scotland will introduce governance structures to ensure the delivery of a property strategy which is closely aligned to operational and business requirements. This supports the Strategic Principle to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources. Action Number 04 Details of Action Owner Timescale An Operational Estates Forum will be created under the Chair of an Assistant Chief Constable to oversee the development of the Plan and subsequent delivery of operational and business requirements. ACC Penman Sept

64 Police Scotland will seek options for the provision of visible, accessible and cost efficient accommodation for community policing officers. This will enable the disposal of old, larger and inefficient buildings. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise property wherever possible. Action Number 05 Details of Action Owner Timescale Local Policing Commanders will seek options for the provision of suitable, visible, accessible and cost effective accommodation for community policing officers within local communities. ACC Penman 2013/2014 Police Scotland will progress a Shared Services Agenda to explore opportunities for sharing corporate services with our partners but also to identify suitable options for co location with partners in local communities. This supports the Strategic Principles to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources and to rationalise property wherever possible. Action Number 06 Details of Action Owner Timescale A Shared Services Advisory Group will be established to investigate opportunities for collaborative working between the three emergency services and suitable options for co-location in local communities. Ms Jane Wisson 2013/

65 Police Scotland will review the deployment of Local Response Teams and other Divisional resources to identify buildings which no longer deliver operational requirements and which could be disposed of to generate capital receipts and reduce operating costs. This supports the Strategic Principles to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources and to rationalise property wherever possible. Action Number 07 Details of Action Owner Timescale Local Policing Divisional Commanders in conjunction with Specialist Divisional Commanders will identify opportunities to accommodate officers at strategic locations to release premises which can be considered for disposal. ACC Penman Sept - Dec 2013 Action Number 08 Details of Action Owner Timescale Local Policing Divisional Commanders in conjunction with the Estates Management Department will develop Divisional Asset Management and Rationalisation Plans which take account of the Public Counter Review in addition to the information available about the performance of buildings. These plans will inform a Corporate Asset Management Plan. ACC Penman Sept - Dec

66 Police Scotland will rationalise its Service Centres and Control Rooms to enhance service provision and make efficiency savings. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise property wherever possible. Action Number Details of Action Owner Timescale 09 An Asset Management and Rationalisation Plan will be developed for C3 Division. Ch/Supt C3 Division Sept - Dec 2013 Police Scotland will consider the options for the future provision of the Custody Division which is linked to operational demand and provide appropriate and cost effective custody facilities across Scotland. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise property wherever possible. Action Number 10 Details of Action Owner Timescale Develop and implement an Asset Management and Rationalisation Plan for Custody Division which provides cost effective and appropriate custody facilities across the country which are linked to operational demand and are aligned to a future Custody Plan for Scotland. Ch/Supt Custody Division 2013/2014 Action Number Details of Action Owner Timescale 11 Review capital projects inherited from legacy forces and ensure alignment with future Custody Strategy for Scotland. ACC Penman Sept

67 Police Scotland will consider the options for accommodating the Licensing and Violence Reduction Division which ensures deployment close to areas of high demand but enables flexible deployment across Scotland. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise property wherever possible. Action Number 12 Details of Action Owner Timescale The Licensing and Violence Reduction Division will consider its accommodation requirements to ensure resources can be deployed effectively in support of Local Policing Ch/Supt Licensing and Violence Reduction Division Sept Dec 2013 Police Scotland will rationalise the property requirements of Operational Support Division while ensuring effective deployment of resources across Scotland, to support communities, enhance the planning and policing of major incidents and events. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise properties wherever possible. Action Number Details of Action Owner Timescale 13 An Operational Support Division Asset Management and Rationalisation Plan will be developed. Ch/Supt OSD Sept Dec

68 Police Scotland will rationalise the property requirements of Specialist Crime Division to ensure the effective deployment of resources across Scotland, and to ensure consideration is given to future developments in technology and legislative requirements. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise property wherever possible. Action Number 14 Details of Action Owner Timescale Specialist Crime Division will formalise its Asset Management and Rationalisation Plan to ensure arrangements are in place for continued evolvement of the plan to take account of future developments in technology and legislative requirements. Det Ch/Supt CrimeSecure Sept 2013 March 2014 Police Scotland will review the arrangements for the management and storage of productions and lost, found and abandoned property and identify a model which maximises the benefits of the i6 programme, and identifies further savings along with enhanced service delivery. This supports the Strategic Principles to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources and to rationalise property wherever possible. Action Number Details of Action Owner Timescale 15 Establish a project to progress the rationalisation and centralisation of storage of productions, lost, found and abandoned property. Head of Estates Management 2013/

69 Police Scotland will meet the Scottish Governments requirements for effective asset management by developing a Corporate Asset Management and Rationalisation Plan, a single comprehensive Asset Management System, establish clear governance arrangements for asset management, introduce agreed and standardised performance targets/benchmarking criteria for land and buildings and ensure that Business Cases which includes an analysis of business need and options appraisal for all property acquisitions/disposals over 200,000. This supports the Strategic Principles to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources and to rationalise property wherever possible. Action Number Details of Action Owner Timescale 16 Develop a Corporate Asset Management and Rationalisation Plan for Police Scotland. Head of Estates Management Sept Dec 2013 Action Number Details of Action Owner Timescale 17 Develop and maintain a mandatory, single, comprehensive Asset Management System to promote and assist decision making. Head of Estates Management Sept 2013 March 2014 Action Number Details of Action Owner Timescale 18 Establish clear governance arrangements for asset management within Police Scotland with clear roles, responsibilities and accountability. ACC Penman & Director of Finance Sept

70 Action Number 19 Details of Action Owner Timescale Implement the use of agreed, standardised, performance targets and benchmarking criteria for land and buildings to achieve continuous improvement in estate performance. Head of Estates Management Sept Dec 2013 Action Number 20 Details of Action Owner Timescale Ensure that Business Cases including Business Needs Analysis and Options Appraisals are completed for all significant property acquisitions or disposals exceeding 200,000 and that support is provided to the Estates Management by Divisional Commanders to assist in the preparation of these reports. Director of Finance/ Head of Estates Management Sept 2013 onward Police Scotland will develop and implement a revised Carbon Management Plan. This supports the Strategic Principle to provide sustainable buildings which drive efficiencies Action Number Details of Action Owner Timescale 21 Develop and implement the revised Carbon Management Plan. Head of Estates Management Sept 2013 onward 65

71 Police Scotland will consolidate contracts for hard and soft facilities management and adopt a cost effective model for the provision of cleaning services. This supports the Strategic Principle to maximising assets by making best use of financial resources Action Number Details of Action Owner Timescale 22 Develop proposals and make recommendations for the procurement of facilities management and cleaning services for Police Scotland. Head of Estates Management 2013/2014 Police Scotland will ensure that there is a close alignment between the property and ICT strategies. This supports the Strategic Principle to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources Action Number Details of Action Owner Timescale 23 ICT Representatives will sit on the Operational Estates Forum but will also be involved with Divisions during the preparation of Divisional Asset Management and Rationalisation Plans. Head of ICT Sept 2013 onward 66

72 Police Scotland will make efficiency savings by disposing of leased properties which are not required for operational reasons. This supports the Strategic Principle to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources Action Number Details of Action Owner Timescale 24 Develop a lease termination plan for properties which are not required for essential operational reasons Head of Estates Management Sept 2013 onward Police Scotland will conduct a review of the strategic support properties to identify which properties deliver the future needs of Police Scotland. This review will include: Legacy FHQ buildings; Scottish Police College and other legacy training facilities; Functional buildings such as garages, workshops and stables. This supports the Strategic Principles, to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources, to rationalise property whenever possible and to promote opportunities to work collaboratively with public sector partners. Action Number Details of Action Owner Timescale A review of strategic support facilities will be commenced which makes recommendations in relation to the future needs of Police Scotland which includes the former legacy Headquarters, Scottish Police College and legacy training establishments and functional buildings such as garages, workshops and stores. Head of Estates Management Sept 2013 March 2014

73 Police Scotland will review and rationalise the residential estate, identify a model for managing the remaining residential estate required to deliver operational delivery. This supports the Strategic Principles to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources and to rationalise property wherever possible Action Number 26 Details of Action Owner Timescale A Residential Disposal and Management Programme will be prepared and submitted to the Scottish Police Authority for approval in early course which includes recommendations for the rationalisation of the residential stock, management of the existing housing and the need for the hostels previously identified in the Capital Plan for Northern Constabulary. Head of Estates Management Sept 2013 Dec 2013 Police Scotland will dispose of properties which have been declared surplus and will identify further properties which are redundant and could be set for disposal. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise property wherever possible. Action Number 27 Details of Action Owner Timescale Continue with work to sell properties already declared surplus and prepare paper for Scottish Police Authority approval in relation to further redundant properties which can be disposed of. Head of Estates Management Sept

74 Police Scotland will review the options in relation to the continued retention of radio masts and prepare a business case which provides recommendations as to the most cost effective options for the Police Authority. This supports the Strategic Principle to maximise assets by making best use of financial resources. Action Number 28 Details of Action Owner Timescale Develop and submit a Business Case which makes recommendations as to the most cost effective option for the Scottish Police Authority in relation to the retention or disposal of radio masts Head of Estates Management Sept 2013 March 2014 Police Scotland will implement a Communication and Engagement Plan for estate rationalisation which outlines the high level direction of travel and enables local engagement with communities and stakeholders for proposed plans and which includes with personnel, union and staff associations. This supports the Strategic Principle to rationalise the estate wherever possible. Action Number Details of Action Owner Timescale Corporate Communications Department, in conjunction with the Estates Management Department, People and Development and local Divisional Commanders, to draw up a Communication and Engagement Plan for estate rationalisation. ACC Penman Sept 2013 onward

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76 APPENDIX B: BREAKDOWN OF PROPERTIES BY CATEGORY 71