Theresa May, the Home Secretary, was guest of honour at the official opening of the new Black Rock Specialist Training centre.
The new £15m site, in Portishead, Bristol, built by Galliford Try for the Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire police forces, will provide firearms and tactical training facilities for all three forces as part of a Tri Force collaboration project. Galliford Try’s Building business was responsible for constructing the centre, which includes a tactics enclosure (with two semi-detached multiple layout houses and abseiling training area), two judgmental suites and 100m and 50m firing ranges linked by CCTV to enable one scenario played out in different locations as well as operating independently.
The scheme has been built as part of a wider PFI programme with Avon and Somerset Police which also includes three new police and custody centres. Galliford Try’s Investments business co-sponsored the Blue Light Partnership consortium which successfully bid and delivered this significant and transformational PFI project.
Speaking at the event the Mrs May said: “I am delighted to open this training facility today. It will help maintain the very high standards that we expect of our firearms officers and equip them with the skills they need to protect the communities they serve.”
Avon and Somerset Temporary Chief Constable Gareth Morgan said: “The Black Rock Specialist Training Centre is an outstanding facility and represents an exciting step in our collaboration in support of the operational teams operating across the three forces, ensuring our communities are kept safe.”
Phil Harris, the Director responsible for the project within Galliford Try Investments, said: “It’s great to see these impressive new facilities receive recognition from the highest levels of government. We have worked hard with our partners at Avon and Somerset police to deliver the very best facilities for the force and the public it serves and we are rightly proud in what we have achieved together.”
