The real estate firm Peel L&P with a security consultancy has been doing risk assessments and technical product evaluation, looking to standardising equipment covering its properties.
Tony Chebrika, Head of Security for Peel L&P, has evaluated products and chosen Wavestore’s Video Management Software (VMS), Axis network cameras, Salto access control and Eaton fire detection, for the integrated electronic security systems deployed across its estate.
Part of the Peel Group, Manchester-based Peel L&P owns and manages 12 million sq. ft. of property and 20,000 acres of land and water; holdings concentrated in the north west of England, such as Liverpool Waters, the city’s 500-acre waterfront regeneration, and Hulton Park estate, in Bolton; it also owns and manages assets around the UK, such as the waterfront of Chatham Docks in Kent; with a total portfolio value of £2.6 billion.
Tony Chebrika said: “Peel L&P’s vision is to create sustainable environments where people and businesses can flourish. I am determined this vision of sustainability is applied to everything we do from a security perspective. Our strategy is to work with security solutions that offer true added value and are future-proof in their ability to interact with emerging technologies which we may wish to utilise in the future to further enhance our security and operations.”
Peel L&P has already rolled out several such projects. At MediaCityUK at Salford, the security products cover the 200-acre mixed-use development on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal. The development is a joint venture between Peel L&P and Legal and General Capital and is home to BBC North, ITV, the University of Salford, dock10 and innovation hub – The Landing, besides blue-chip companies including Ericsson, Kellogg’s and The Hut Group. It also hosts 250 smaller creative and tech businesses.
A prime purpose of such integrated security is monitoring of any suspicious activity and for post-event interrogation should there be an incident. It’s also contributing to operational efficiency, such as the management of car parking areas and assisting receptionists to visually verify the identity of visitors.
Richard Sumner is Director of Advanced Security Partners Ltd, the consultants working with Tony Chebrika at Peel on the design and use of the Group’s electronic security systems. Richard said: “Before deciding which brands to work with long term, we carefully considered what was on offer from a host of vendors across the market.
“In addition to carrying out stringent tests in varying environments and lighting conditions, we also evaluated each potential supplier by taking into account a number of factors over and above functionality. We wanted to work with products which could deliver long term reliability as well as immediate ROI. Our conclusion was that Axis, Eaton, Salto and Wavestore should form the core of the brands used to form a complete best-in-breed solution across the Peel Group estate.”
“One of the key reasons we chose Wavestore as our preferred VMS is that its open platform offers us the flexibility, now or at any time in the future, to bring together third-party devices and sub-systems from different manufacturers, including for example, the latest generation of hemispheric 360 degree cameras, onto a common, future-proof and easy to operate platform. This was extremely important to Peel L&P to ensure that they can benefit from the very latest technology as it is introduced.”
Peel L&P intends to deploy the same safety and security products on new development projects. It will also be installed as part of any upgrade to replace Peel L&P legacy security systems.
About the consultant
Richard Sumner was a finalist at the ASC (Association of Security Consultants) annual awards in summer 2019 for the Mike Cahalane Award. The firm recently completed Welsh Assembly access control design, undertaking the works through real estate firm CBRE.
