This instruction applies to all hereditaments occupied by Territorial Police Forces in England and Wales with the exception of police training colleges. In this respect the term police station should not be defined too narrowly but should be taken to include police headquarter buildings and training facilities (other than colleges).
List description: police station and premises
Scat code 215 Suffix G
This is a generalist class and responsibility for valuation lies with the Regional Valuation Units (RVU). Queries of a complex nature arising from the valuation of individual properties should be referred to the Class Co-ordination Team (CCT) Facilitator for Valuation Panel 4 CCT - Emergency via the RVU CCT representative.
Valuation Panel 4 CCT - Emergency has overall responsibility for the co-ordination of this class. The CCT is responsible for the approach to and accuracy and consistency of valuations for police stations. The CCT will deliver practice notes describing the valuation basis for revaluation and provide advice as necessary during the life of the rating list. Caseworkers have a responsibility to:
Purpose built police stations are a suigeneris class and consequently, as a general rule, only evidence relating to hereditaments in the same mode or category of use is pertinent.
See
Scottish and Newcastle (Retail) Ltd v Williams (VO) (RA 2000 P 119) and the subsequent Court of Appeal decision Williams (VO) v Scottish and Newcastle Retail and Allied Domecq [RA 2001 P 41)
re the appeal of Reeves (VO) RA 2007 P168
Dawkins (VO) v Royal Leamington Spa BC and Warwickshire County Council (1961) RVR 291.
See VOA Rating manual: part 2 - material change of circumstances including mode or category thereof for further guidance on mode or category of use.
However, in some circumstances it may be appropriate to have regard to rental evidence derived from other modes or categories of use such as general office use, particularly where the hereditament might reasonably be described as offices occupied by the police see para 8.1 below and Re. the Appeal of Reeves (VO) [2007] RA/74/2005.
6.1 Method of measurement
Police stations may be valued by either the rentals method or by reference to the Contractors basis. The basis of valuation will determine the method of measurement required: Net Internal Area (NIA) in respect of the rentals method and Gross Internal Area (GIA) in respect of the Contractors basis. It will be necessary to ascertain the basis of valuation prior to inspection but in case of doubt sufficient measurement and survey information should be recorded to enable valuations to be carried out using either basis.
6.2 Description
6.2.1 Hereditaments occupied by the 39 territorial police forces in England and the 4 in Wales are extremely varied in terms of construction , layout and size, characteristics which are largely dictated by their function.
6.2.2 The smallest police stations will cater for only limited public access, consisting of a reception area with enquiry desk and a small office with w/c and mess area but with no cells/custody suite. At the other extreme regional HQs will contain a full range of facilities which may include extensive offices, staff facilities, custody suites, identification parade facilities, victim examination suites, scene of crime suites, major incident facilities, training facilities , rifle ranges, garages, workshops of various types, stables, dog training or rearing facilities. Some of the more specialised facilities will normally be found as separate stand-alone hereditaments, these including purpose built custody suites
6.2.3 The majority of police hereditaments are purpose-built. Exceptions are stations housed in shop units. There are also a small number of police stations, which are known to have been physically adapted from office premises acquired on the open market. The considerable range of administrative work undertaken by police forces may in some cases lead to occupation of ordinary office hereditaments.
6.3 Requirements
Unit of assessment
Where co-located with other emergency services it is possible that unit of assessment issues may arise, particularly where some facilities are shared. In these circumstances the principles referred to in VOA Rating Manual: Part 1 - hereditament should be adhered to. In cases of difficulty advice from the NVU specialist should be obtained.
Survey detail
The following information is required
A plan (CAD) or otherwise should be obtained where available and check dimensions made on site as necessary; otherwise a plan should be drawn up
Method of construction - for example traditional brick and tile or steel framed
Dimensions (where measured to NIA) and description of the accommodation for example offices, interview room, mess facilities, cell accommodation, rifle range etc. with details of internal finish, insulation, heating, lighting etc
Where the contractors basis is to be the method of valuation only the GIA of individual building(s) is required unless there is a significant variation in the type of accommodationFor example where a custody suite forms part of a building which otherwise consists of offices and staff accommodation a separate GIA will be required in respect of the custody suite. Likewise for such facilities as rifle ranges, garages, workshops, stables, dog training etc.
i. Description and detail of services to the hereditament e.g. heating, air conditioning, security systems (to include CCTV, barriers, gates and perimeter fencing), solar panels, wind turbines etcii. Number of car parking spaces for police vehicles, staff and visitors- or/and parking area, the nature of the surface, a note of the extent of site landscaping and, where present, helicopter landing area areas, skid pans and the like.iii. A description of the means of access to the highway and a note of the proximity to major trunk /arterial/ring roads.iv. Establish by enquiry the number of staff present on site.