The scheme includes a new 50-cell custody suite in Middlesbrough, a new operational and administrative District headquarters for Middlesbrough, and the provision of a new operational administrative HQ and custody facility for the Langbaurgh district, including a six cell custody facility. Further elements include the provision of a new town centre police office for South Bank with capacity to accommodate up to 25 police staff, the provision of a new town centre police office for Redcar with capacity to accommodate up to 25 police staff and a 500m2 central storage facility at Middlesbrough.  

The PFI project will be managed by Cleveland FM Services Ltd, a consortium of Bank of Scotland, Equion Ltd. and Reliance Secure Task Management. The 20 month construction programme will be carried out by Laing O'Rourke Northern at a cost of £26.8m, with Reliance providing facilities management services, including a 24-hour helpdesk and grounds and building maintenance, for the duration of the 25 year contract.

John Cann, Director of Equion said; "We are delighted to be working on this important project and to further develop our successful working relationship with the Cleveland Police Authority.  This project is an excellent addition to Equion's operational portfolio and strengthens our expertise in the Police sector and our position as the UK's largest provider of specialist police PFI facilities." 

Cleveland Police Authority chair, Ted Cox, added; "This is by far and away the biggest building programme ever undertaken within Cleveland Police and it could not have happened without the Government funding we are gaining through adopting the Private Finance Initiative route.

"The benefits of having facilities equipped to meet the needs of C21st policing will be felt not just by every officer and member of staff, but by the whole community because, the more efficiently we can operate our facilities, the more resources we can concentrate on frontline services."

Chief Constable Sean Price added; "This is a programme of work that will benefit the people of Cleveland. It will help make our communities safer and puts people first.

"The developments will replace ageing and unsuitable accommodation to provide better conditions for our officers and staff, and in turn enable them to give a better service to the public. New town offices given the public better access to policing in Redcar and South Bank. It is a development of which Cleveland can be proud and helps drive forward policing services to meet the communities' demands." 

-ENDS-

For more information:   Anne Sampson/Matthew Moth
                                        The madano partnership 
                                        020 7593 4000
                                        
                                        Christine Jones
                                        John Laing plc
                                        020 7901 3290

Notes to Editors:

1. Equity Providers - Equion (42.5%)
                                Bank of Scotland (42.5%)
                                Reliance Secure Task Management (15%)
FM Contractor -        Reliance Secure Task Management
Financial Advisor -   RSM Robson Rhodes
Legal Advisor -         Bevan Brittan, Bristol
Design Build Contractor - Laing O'Rourke Northern Ltd
Architect -  McBains Cooper Design Ltd
Debt Provider -         Bank of Scotland

2. Equion is a specialist provider of facilities in the PFI and PPP markets with a long-term perspective and approach. Equion offers a combination of skills and experience, from planning and funding through to design, construction and operation. It is actively involved in the management of a wide range of police, education, health, defence and special purpose government facilities including:

-       the Ministry of Defence Main Building refurbishment in Whitehall
-       17 police stations and facilities in Greater Manchester
-       the Metropolitan Police Service Specialist Training Centre in Gravesend
-       4 new police stations in South East London for Metropolitan Police
-       Newham and Enfield Combined Schools project
-       Glasgow and Edinburgh Schools project
-       South East Essex College at Southend
-       the new Norfolk & Norwich, and Queen Elizabeth (Greenwich) Hospitals
-       a radical restructuring of primary health care facilities in Manchester, Salford and Trafford

3. John Laing plc, is one of the UK's leading corporate developers and investors in public infrastructure through the Private Finance Initiative with a proven record of delivering new investments on time and to budget. It holds a large and expanding portfolio of investments under three main divisions: Laing Roads, Laing Rail and Equion. The Group currently invests in a total of 45 projects spanning education, transport, health and special purpose government facilities, of which 26 are fully operational. It is currently preferred bidder on 9 PFI and PPP projects. The majority of the investments are within the UK though a number are in continental Europe. http://www.laing.com/

4. Equion and its parent company John Laing plc won the Infrastructure Journal Developer of the Year Award in February 2004. http://www.equion.ltd.uk/