Contractor teams up with Canadian architect to offer product which builds on standardised school concept

Willmott Dixon CODE prefabricated prison cell

Willmott Dixon has begun offering forces off-the-shelf modular police cells for detaining and processing prisoners.

The contractor has teamed up with Canadian architect NORR to launch the product, named CODE, which builds on its Sunesis standardised schools concept, developed with Scape.

Willmott Dixon is offering police forces custody suites in three sizes. Alpha provides up to 28 cells, Bravo up to 36 cells and Charlie more than 36 cells.

The contractor is hoping to capitalise on a nationwide move by police forces to rationalise their estates. Many are opting to stop processing prisoners at small police stations with only a handful of cells in favour of investing millions of pounds in larger, regional custody suites.

Before the launch, Willmott Dixon had already delivered several cell custody suites containing more than 50 cells for police forces in South Yorkshire, South Wales, Newcastle and the West Midlands.

Willmott Dixon said the CODE concept had been developed with input from the Home Office and more than 20 police forces.

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