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Metropolitan Police Tactical Training Centre: SPV Management

Vercity provides the management service agreement for the Metropolitan Police Specialist Training Centre – a 700-person capacity building.

Sector

Emergency Services

Key Stakeholders

The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) on behalf of Services Support (Gravesend) Limited

Original Investment Value

£41m (original construction cost)

The project

The Metropolitan Police Specialist Training Centre (MPSTC) was developed partly by refurbishing buildings on the site from the 1960s, and partly by new construction. The site is approximately 38.8 hectares in size and comprises accommodation buildings, offices, classrooms, indoor and outdoor firing ranges, as well as an urban street scene training facility. Vercity provides the management service agreement (MSA) to the project, with an increased focus on contract compliance to ensure the facilities management provider delivers on its contractual obligations.

Approach

The Project consists of the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance, on a 25-year concession of training centre in Gravesend, Kent. Our established consultancy services provide support to project teams internally, working closely to deliver a high-quality service to our clients. In setting the priorities and objectives of the project, we help guide operations, ensuring the FM provider achieves contractual performance and that cashflows are protected.

- Gravesend Metropolitan Police Tactical Training Centre Gravesend
riot police in Gravesend
Gravesend

Process

The Contractor (Project Co) is Services Support (Gravesend) Limited, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) company of which 72.92% is owned by InfraRed Capital Partners (IRCP) Ltd and the remaining 27.08% by Dalmore Capital. Funders are formed of a consortium of 5 Banks: Nationwide Building Society, Mizuho Bank Ltd, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Europe Limited, Aviva Special PFI Limited Partnership, Commerzbank AG. Bouygues E&S were appointed to a full fixed-price (FPC) contract in October 2018, following a period of Agent of Operations from March 2018, after the collapse of Carillion in January 2018. To ensure contract compliance, Vercity continuously reviews costs and assesses quality and service delivery, benchmarking actual performance delivery against contract requirements. In turn, MOPAC can operate with confidence, knowing that all compliance and regulations are being met.

The result

In seeking to build long-term relationships with all stakeholders, we bring value-added benefits to the asset through governance, accounting and tax efficiencies, commercial initiatives, and innovation. We create an environment where experience and expertise are brought to the fore, providing quality assurance and maximum return on investment.

Project impact

The training centre can house a total of 300 people in the accommodation buildings. There are facilities available for 600 people to be trained on site at any point in time, and there are approximately 100 training and support staff. The maximum capacity of the building is around 700. As part of our commitment to environmental, social, governance (ESG) principles, we make regular food donations to a local church group and homeless shelter in Gravesend. We also donate surplus mattresses to the St Mungo Rough Sleeping Assessment Centre and support a catering sub-contractor which has established an on-site shop selling essential items for when staff can’t get to local stores in regular hours.

The facility provides a world class training centre where police receive training for both armed response and crowd/riot control. Facilities include indoor and outdoor firing ranges, gymnasiums, a fully stocked licensed bar, catering facility, and two urban training environments. The mock town in the Public Order training area is where you will find officers, armed with riot shields, faced with violent mobs throwing bricks, glass bottles and petrol bombs!

The facades of the buildings in the streets hide empty shells disguised as shops, a bank, estate agent, flats and there is even a tube station. Following a feasibility study to support the outline Business Case, the Vercity Project Management Team is currently managing a Variation for RIBA Stages 3 & 4 (full design and Tender) of the proposed works to a new Live Skills House.

“Thank you to everyone for their continued efforts and hard work regarding Covid compliance. It is much appreciated.”

Kerry Green, Contract Monitor (MPS)

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