A new London Fire Brigade museum and the redevelopment of Lambeth fire station moved a step closer today following the appointment of U and I Group Plc (U+I) as development partners for the old London Fire Brigade headquarters building on the Albert Embankment.
This decision is being made following a full public procurement process and the agreement will be subject to receiving planning permission.
Four bidders took part in the final tender process after a shortlisting exercise was carried out.
Each final bid was evaluated against specified risk-based criteria and the U+I scheme came out as a clear winner.
The sale of the site should raise a substantial capital sum for the Authority, subject to the planning approval being granted.
Sue Budden, Director of Finance and Contractual Services, said: "This decision moves us closer to redeveloping this site, some of which has been vacant since 2008.
"It is important that this moves forward, in order to protect an important cultural London landmark and to reflect the needs of the local community.
"Rehousing the Brigade's museum in a purpose built space will help mean we can modernise our exhibits, host more school visits and encourage more families to come and learn about our history and about fire prevention which is a key part of our community safety work.
"This development also means we can modernise Lambeth fire station, dramatically improving the facilities for our firefighters but also provide a space that the community can use too."
Legal stages now need to be completed to formally appoint U+I following the Authority decision.
Once that is over, Brigade officers and the developer will continue to work with local planners, residents and other stakeholders, to prepare a planning application for this site, which has been designated a major development opportunity by the London Borough of Lambeth.
Before a planning application is made a period of public consultation on the plans with local residents and other stakeholders will commence.
The report which LFEPA members discussed set out the competitive dialogue and evaluation process undertaken by officers, with the four shortlisted bidders invited to submit final tenders for the sale of the 8 Albert Embankment site.
The site includes the old Brigade Headquarters, the former workshop building and a carpark.