Home Office
50 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9AT
(night line: 020 7273 4595) Fax: 0207 272 4660
Public Enquiry Line: 020 7273 4000
News Release
28/07/2000
PREFERRED BIDDER CHOSEN FOR NEW
HOME OFFICE / PRISON SERVICE HQ
234/2000 28July 2000
020 7273 4117
PREFERRED BIDDER CHOSEN FOR NEW
HOME OFFICE/PRISON SERVICE HQ
The Home Office has chosen Ames Gate Property PLC as the preferred bidder to
build and run a new London Headquarters building for both the Home Office and
the Prison Service.
The new building will be at 2 Marsham Street on the site of the former home of
the Department of the Environment, which is planned for demolition.
It is hoped that a contract for the public private partnership will be signed in
Spring 2001. The new building should be ready for occupancy by 2004.
When the new building is completed, the Home Office and Prison Service plan to
vacate buildings which they currently occupy in central London. The new HO
building, designed by internationally known architect Terry Farrell, will house
at least 3,000 staff. The site will also contain some housing and retail
development.
The selection was announced by Home Secretary Jack Straw in a written answer to
a Parliamentary Question from, Karen Buck MP for Regent’s Park and Kensington
North.
The full text of the Parliamentary Answer is attached.
Sir David Omand, Permanent Secretary at the Home Office said today:
“This is very good news. Home Office performance and efficiency have been held
back through being separated in six buildings in the Westminster area, and
through the inadequate and unsuitable nature of some of our present
accommodation.
“The new headquarters will provide a long term solution, in partnership with the
private sector, and give much better value for money than the alternatives open
to us. And few Londoners will mourn the demolition of the present Marsham Street
tower blocks.”
The preferred bidder, Annes Gate Property PLC commented:
“We are delighted to have been selected as preferred bidder for this important
project, and will continue to do all we can to secure a successful outcome and
look forward to working closely with the Home Office during the further contract
negotiation phase.”
Details of Annes Gate Property PLC are attached.
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
1. The Home Secretary outlined plans for Marsham Street
in January. A copy is attached.
2. Annes Gate Property PLC (AGP) is a special purpose
vehicle established to deliver the Home Office Central London accommodation
project. The chief executive of AGP is Godfrey Bradman, and the managing
director is Richard Frischmann.
The principal shareholders in AGP will be European Land, the Bouygues Group,
whose UK operating divisions Bouygues (UK) Ltd and Ecovert (South) Ltd will
provide construction and facilities management services respectively, and CCF
Charterhouse PLC.
AGP has engaged a large team ~f advisers and consultants, all of whom have wide
experience both in the design and delivery of major headquarters buildings and
in the field of major PEI projects. Project and bid management has been provided
by a team from Mace Ltd, led by Roger Greasley.
The design team includes architect Terry Farrell & Partners supported by DEGW
for interiors and space planning, Pell Frischmann for structural engineering,
TME and Battle McCarthy for Mechanical and Electrical services and Gardiner &
Theobald as cost consultants. Property advisors are Montagu Evans and Jones Lang
LaSalle. Financial advisors are CIBC and legal advisers are Norton Rose.
AGP was responsible for conceiving the original idea of redeveloping the sfte at
Marsham Street to create a flexible, state of the art headquarters, capable of
accommodating the Home Office and HM Prison Service staff at a single address.
The opportunity to remove the much criticised Marsham Street towers and
construct a modern and efficient headquarters and deliver Westminster City
Council’s mixed use aspirations for the site will represent a major success in
terms of urban regeneration.