The Greater Manchester Police (GMP) project consisted of two new buildings located at Central Park in Manchester, housing the Divisional (DHQ) and Force (FHQ) Headquarters for the Greater Manchester Police Authority.

Representing a consolidation of the Police Authority’s resources facilities across the region, both buildings were constructed concurrently, starting in 2009 with practical completion in mid 2011. The function of each building is as follows:

  • The North Manchester Divisional Headquarters building is a 10,000 m² state-of-the-art custody and high security facility
  • The Force Headquarters building is an 18,000 m² highly secure commercial office building for the GMP.

The key project drivers for the Greater Manchester Police Authority were sustainability and resilience. Both buildings were designed to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating and included a number of sustainable initiatives:

  • Ground sourced heating/cooling
  • Solar thermal panels
  • Photovoltaic panels
  • Rainwater harvesting.

The initiatives provide both a mechanism for reducing the carbon emissions from the building and significantly reduced running costs.

Providing robust and resilient solutions that are able to operate under adverse conditions was a critical element of the project. As such the buildings include standby generators, UPS and redundant mechanical plant.

The development forms an integral part of Greater Manchester Police’s security strategy for England’s North West. Understanding their key drivers was an integral part of the project, with NDY’s close working relationship with GMP essential to success.

Project Details

Market Sector:
Corrections & Justice

Client: ASK/Goodman

Architect: Aedas

Value: £75 m

Completion: 2011