Turf cutting marks start of construction of new police station

A turf cutting ceremony today (Monday 21 February 2011) paved the way for a new state-of-the-art police station for Harrogate.

Jane Kenyon, Chairman of North Yorkshire Police Authority and Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell cut the first turf from the site at Beckwith Knowle, marking a significant milestone in the history of North Yorkshire Police.

The station will replace the existing 1930s base in North Park Road and will provide purpose-built facilities which will enable North Yorkshire Police to deliver a high-quality policing service to the communities of Harrogate well into the future.

A smaller town centre office will also be acquired as a base for the 30 officers and staff who make up the town centre Safer Neighbourhood Team.

Ms Kenyon said: "This really is a special day for the Authority, Force and the communities we serve - not just in Harrogate but across the whole county - who will benefit from this long overdue addition to the Force's estate. It has taken a tremendous amount of planning and hard work to get to this significant point, and I want to put on record my thanks to all who have been involved to date and to those in the future.

"We look forward to continue working with GB Building Solutions as we excitedly await the opening of the station for officers and residents next Spring. We do remain acutely aware of the current economic situation, but we have fully scrutinised all the options open to us. This innovative station, built to provide the most modern of policing facilities, will hopefully see North Yorkshire Police well for the next 80 years and more - as the current station has.

"This station has been a long time in the planning; meticulous workings on the financial viability of the project and continued belief that this will deliver the most efficient and best long term value for residents into the future have driven the Authority and Force to this point, and I certainly cannot wait to hand it over as a fully working operational base for our Officers and staff in 2012."

Mr Maxwell added: "I am delighted that we are starting the construction phase of this project, which will provide Harrogate with a 21st century police station and will enable us to continue to provide a high-quality policing service to local communities in the years to come."

The three-storey building will be one of the most advanced of its kind, making the most of modern building methods including flexible working space and green technology .

The building will achieve an environmental assessment rating of 'Excellent' under the BREEAM method and will incorporate a number of sustainable features, including low-energy lighting, efficient lighting controls and reduced air loss through managed ventilation.

To reduce the use of non-renewable resources, solar panels are to be installed on the roof to pre-heat water, which will be used to meet thermal loads within the building, and air source heat pumps will be used to extract heat from the outside air to provide either heating or cooling as required.

It will provide working space for around 200 officers and staff, a sixteen-cell custody suite built to Home Office specifications, two vehicle docks and a separate reception area for members of the public.

The station will be built by GB Building Solutions and is due to be completed by Spring 2012.

The cost of the whole project, including purchase of the land, design, construction, moving and fixtures and fittings, is just under £18m.