A Temporary Custody Suite

Part of Thames Valley police’s custody refurbishment is a complete rebuild of the Newbury custody suite. This was a shared unit with the Magistrates court and was also too far from other custody units to be closed. The new building is on the footprint of the old custody suite and is well advanced in its construction by Beard, the strategic partner in all of Thames Valley Police’s £34 million custody redevelopment projects. Because a local custody suite was essential, a solution had to be found. This came in the shape of a modular building that was craned in and sited on the car park between the Magistrates court and the canal. It was apparently a complicated task that had to be completed quickly and without sacrificing security. We went to have a look and discussed the job with Judy Blake and Glen Ashby; two people who have gained much experience in building custody suites.

What was the extent of the task here at Newbury?
Judy Blake (JB) Our project here was to build a new custody suite. The existing suite was built in 1968 and had ten cells; most without toilets and many other shortcomings. By the time we had completed the project planning, it was clear that the existing suite could not be refurbished to the required standard. The alternative plan was to demolish the existing suite and address all the issues in a cost effective way by re-building. We first planned to build the new suite where the old one stood, but the site wasn’t big enough for all the requirements detailed in the Home Office Guide and the Safer Detention Document as well with having the ventilation system upgraded. Even then the new suite has only a marginally larger footprint and will have 4 extra cells. Same area, better design.

What did the police do for a custody suite in the Newbury area between demolition and re-building? 

Why choose that particular solution?
JB We made enquiries with people who knew about these things, used Yellow Pages and the Internet and decided on modular buildings from Wernick, which has proved to be a good choice. We knew our specific needs and the price we were willing to pay. The modules were erected on what was the Magistrates’ court car park. Because we work in partnership with the Magistrates, in that we deal with their prisoners while they are in temporary custody, it was a mutually satisfactory solution. It was very convenient to be able to move court prisoners in a safe way from the cells directly into the court.

Which begs the question, will you be looking after the court’s detainees in the new building?
JB Yes, there is an internal corridor that leads directly from the cell block to the magistrates’ court.
When you have your new custody suite what becomes of the modular structure?
JB We were fortunate to be able to negotiate a contract, whereby we could hire the modules, because it wouldn’t have been cost effective to purchase them and then sell them on or back to the supplier. When the time comes, the company will come in and remove them from site.

Were you able to hire the units ‘off the shelf’ or were alterations necessary?
JB Very few alterations were necessary. We visited Wernick’s factory where they showed us sample cells that they had created with the Home Office, so we were able to ‘cherry pick’ individual items. There were many options to choose from and we were able to select a suitable combination within our budget, except for a CCTV installation. We did have the double drop cell doors, so there was ample vision into the cells and the mirror which gave us 360 degree vision and we judged that sufficient for a temporary solution. The design of the processing area was all ours; we had used it previously and knew it was the best way of processing detainees safely and effectively. We worked very closely with Andy and Tim (of Wernick) so that they understood how we worked as a force, how custody worked and our requirements. They took our briefing on board and produced a very satisfactory conclusion. The foundation pads and drainage were put in advance and the one-day installation progressed smoothly; there were no technical hitches at all. It was scary in a way because I wasn’t here on the Saturday morning, but I was waiting for a phone call and when it came, we were told that everything went beautifully, that everybody was interested and all took credit for a job well done…it was marvellous!

Thank you very much for speaking to the Review.