Corrected 4 June 2008.
A letter dated 22 May 2008 from a John McNally of CB Richard Ellis, who are believed to be acting for the developers, is being circulated. This is not, as previously thought, direct from Westminster City Council.
The letter states that the Bow Street magistrates court and police station building are already owned by Edwards Leisure Ltd, and refers to previous correspondence explaining why the development of a police museum is not considered viable for the site.
The new owners are apparently proposing an 886 sq metre (9537 square feet) museum/interpretive centre as part of their scheme to link the development of the building to its illustrious past. The owners hope to source objects on loan from the Metropolitan Police Historic Collection so as to make them available for public viewing. In addition cells will be available for 'sleep over' accommodation to enable people to gain a further experience relevant to the building's past.
The letter expresses the hope that support might be expressed for this scheme, and that views in writing would be forwarded to:
Julia Ashgar, Development Planning Services, Westminster City Council, City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QP.