Reimagining Mount Browne

Our strategy for redevelopment

The redevelopment of Mount Browne is a key priority of the Surrey Estates Strategy and is the enabler to unlock a number of wider initiatives across the County. The overarching Estates Strategy, and importantly this project, will not only contribute to the health, safety, and wellbeing of staff but also provide the Force with the capability to effectively train, develop, and resource officers throughout their career serving the public.

Our vision

"Our estate and the way we work will be transformed. Modern, efficient, and flexible working environments will reduce costs, promote operational effectiveness, enhance conditions for our staff and enable more agile and collaborative ways of working supported by modern technology and a culture of trust. Through this our staff will be empowered to be the best they can be, acting with pride, professionalism, confidence and creativity to keep our communities safe and feeling safe."

Lisa Townsend, Police and Crime Commissioner

Our objectives

Seven key objectives underpin our strategy:

• Safety
  • We will deliver a safe, compliant, and innovative working environment, supported by the best technology.     
• Culture
  • We will deliver a workplace which gives the opportunity and freedom for a trusted workforce to choose the best way to deliver our service to the public. We will provide the flexibility to work in a way which encourages teamwork internally, as well as with partners.  This culture will have a shared purpose and learning, valuing diversity.   
• Environmental & sustainability
  • To ensure that the estate, its design, construction, and also its long-term use, delivers against the declared climate emergency agenda and reduces the current estate running and maintenance costs with the ability to flex to accommodate changing business needs at minimal cost. 
• Value
  • We will provide an estate that will have due regard to economic, environmental, public and overall, social value. 
• Inclusion
  • The estate will be designed to remove the barriers that create undue effort and separation, enabling everyone to participate equally, confidently, and independently. 
• Wellbeing
  • The estate will deliver a fit for purpose, flexible workplace, of quality design, taking the best of technical excellence to ensure our cultural, environmental, and WELL Building gold accreditation aspirations are successfully implemented, improving staff and officer wellbeing, engagement and productivity leading to increased staff satisfaction, recruitment and retention.  
• Collaboration
  • We will work actively with our public sector partners to identify opportunities to co-locate and deliver on the One Public Estate initiative.

Planning submissions

 Formal planning applications were submitted to Guilford Borough Council in early April.

On 6 November, Guildford Borough Council’s Planning Committee voted to grant planning permission subject to legal agreement as part of the redevelopment of Mount Browne.

One of the applications was for a new access road onto the site, which will reduce traffic for our neighbouring residential areas. The second application relates to the redevelopment plans for the site, which will see the Force refurbish and rebuild areas of Surrey Police’s headquarters that are no longer sustainable or fit for purpose.

There are now additional legal stages to go through before we take steps towards redeveloping Mount Browne. Further updates will be provided in the coming months.