Construction firm Wates has been chosen to deliver the planned £40 million redevelopment of the Metropolitan Police Station at Hammersmith.

RSP Arhitects have come up with the project plans and will mean a full six storey refurbishment for the Shepherd’s Bush Road Grade II listed building which was first constructed in the 1930s.

Flexible office space and an adjoined newly-built 30 cell custody facility will also be included in the construction, as well as Mounted Branch stables with 18 loose boxes provided and a car parking facility in the basement.

Construction is set to begin in November this year, provided the plans get the green light from the planning committee, with work set to be finished by the end of 2018.

The Southern Construction Framework appointed construction company Wates to deliver the project.

The Metropolitan Police Service will be operating the new development which will be in close proximity to another Wates construction, the office buildings in the middle of Hammersmith – Development Securities’ Hammersmith Grove.

This latest redevelopment of the police station comes as part of a widespread re-organisation of West London policing which will also see Fulham Police Station shut down.

It is hoped that police running costs will be reduced by £400,000 a year thanks to the reorganisation of Metropolitan Police services.

Roger Harding, director at Met Police estates, said that the Hammersmith site is one of the most important for the Met Police Service but insisted that its current set-up was failing to function in the modern world of policing and that significant investment to the site was much needed.

Mr Harding added that MPS is pleased to be working with Wates on the project due to the firm’s proven record of expanding and refurbishing its custody centres and police stations.

He also said that more money will now be put into front line policing thanks to developments such as the one at Hammersmith.