Humberside Police set to spend an additional £7m on new divisional HQ
Humberside Police is set to spend another £7m on its new divisional headquarters for Hull.
The force has cancelled almost £4m worth of plans for other work across the city and has been allocated an extra £3.1m from the police authority.
-
An artist's impression of Humberside Police's new headquarters in Clough Road, north Hull.
The Clough Road development, in north Hull, which was set to cost £26m, will now cost almost £33m.
Assistant chief officer Phil Goatley said: "The force is investing an additional £3.1m in its capital programme, which will allow us to deliver improved functionality."
The new plans include a building to house a number of different teams of officers.
This includes the operational support section – which provides specialist officers for public order incidents, carries out searches and is home to the firearms officers.
It will also, according to the report discussed at a meeting of Humberside Police Authority's finance committee meeting on Tuesday, provide a home for detectives dealing with car and drugs crime.
The incident response team (IRT), which responds to 999 calls, together with the probationer development unit, which tutors student officers, will also be based at the new development.
They will all be joined by a unit which conducts non-urgent telephone inquiries.
Mr Goatley added: "Our main priority is to deliver improved performance and provide accessible, visible and effective services.
"Any relocation of functions will only be done to benefit of both performance and public service."
A spokeswoman for the Police Authority said: "We have approved proposals to upgrade the development of the new divisional headquarters on Clough Road.
"While the proposed costs look set to increase from £26m to £32.98m, savings resulting from the withdrawal of other planned projects will be used to offset the increase, limiting the total uplift in the capital programme to £3.1m."
Work is expected to start in January, with the building open by February 2013.
* The force has scrapped plans to spend £25,000 on a public art display at the new headquarters.
As revealed by the Mail on Monday, a report discussed by the Police Authority showed the money had been set aside for "selecting and commissioning an artist to create public art for the public plaza leading up to the headquarter's main entrance".
After the meeting on Tuesday morning, Phil Goatley, Assistant Chief Officer, said: "The force has noted the recent media interest in the suggested provision of public art.
"Whilst we would not seek and indeed will not be investing in a piece of public art, we will however be using every opportunity to provide the site with unique features of interest."
19 Comments
View all
by geoff, wawne
Tuesday, May 25 2010, 1:23PM
“martin, Hull
Stop snivelling round the coppers.
What's up, were you too short to get in the force?
Coppers' nark!”
by Carl Gavin, Bangkok Thailand
Tuesday, May 25 2010, 7:30AM
“It would appear from the comments made above that not too many people are happy about this refurbishment. Don't the police authority or the council take note of peoples feelings any more? I live in bangkok where the thought of 33 Million quid would make the police go weak at the knees and look at what they have had to put up with in recent weeks! It is reading about idiocy like this that makes me so glad that I left the UK. Is the police station in Queens Gardens not good enough? Or is it too noisy because of ther troublesome gangs which have taken it over? What about the police station near East Park/Ings Road too old? I come home every Christmas and hardly ever see a policeman, no I guess they will all be hiding on Clough Road.
Last week there were riots here yet I still saw a policeman at every corner on my way to work. I am afraid that the UK has lost sight of something when it will pay this much for a building and not employ any new beat bobbies.”
by Cynic, Never Never Land
Friday, May 21 2010, 1:19AM
“No money for recruiting more Police Officers though is there... and what would the public rather see???”
by martin, Hull
Thursday, May 20 2010, 10:46PM
“I suppose the extra £7m will be worth it if the police can catch more proper criminals but even when they do they will probably get let off like the case we weren't allowed to comment on recently. Come on HDM, if you want to put something on here where some scum gets let off then let us have our say. I did have a thought where the extra £7m was going to come from but I did see that policeman with his motorbike and special camera on a tripod westbound just before the flyover at smith and nephews the other saturday and they did have a very successful day in Hornsea at the weekend. I live in a 30 zone too and am sick of the cars and motorbikes passing my house at motorway speeds. There is a bike that must pass my house every morning at 7.20am well in excess of 70mph. He's in about 4th gear when he passes my house and still accelerating. So come on them Humberside Police, if you want to catch real speeders, not the ones doing 5 or 6 mph over the limit then come and stand near Cranswick Foods on Staithes Road early morning and late evening and see what I mean. Send the nice chap with the motorbike. He can park it my drive and I will make him tea.”
by Rob, Hull
Thursday, May 20 2010, 7:59PM
“Jonny B seems to know an lot about the workings of the police. I wonder why that is? What will his bosses think of his negative comments and the pathetic use of the name 'Blunderside' as a poor attempt to disguise what he really is. Have a bit of pride Jonny, it might rub off.”
by Ranter, Hull.
Thursday, May 20 2010, 7:13PM
“Its obvious that those in charge of the police budgets are mentally impaired and gullible,so I have tendered my idea of 50 giant fibre glass toads, each with a flashing blue light, along the approach to the new station. Inside, the building will be manned by cardboard cut out officers, and the chief constable, on request, will show visitors his old bobbies helmet to prove he really was a policeman once.”
by Leo, here
Thursday, May 20 2010, 4:54PM
“sounds like there are people on here that know whats what...the top guy, rather full of himself but he'll be off shortly after he gets a massive performance related bonus. Guess he's on about £180k New station means zilch to the rest of us. Just wonder who's idea it is?? I thought we were in a financial crisis but obviously doesn't apply to them!”
by Netty, Hull
Thursday, May 20 2010, 4:30PM
“Humberside Police New Headquarters. Why on earth do we need a H.P.N.H we have no Police Officers they are as rare a Rocking Horse Manure. They should do up the old police stations and stop wasting public money.”
by Lyndsey, Hull
Thursday, May 20 2010, 3:57PM
“This is absolutley stupid!!! I for one am unemployed just as many other people in the city due to lack of work cos of the recession....so instead of spending £33mill on a station that is not particularly needed...why not spend some on refurbishing existing stations and trying to get the workforce back up in hull”
by Peter, Purves
Thursday, May 20 2010, 3:39PM
“Oh brilliant! Some nice new facilities for the UKs premier force!
Now there is even less chance of them getting off their fat, lardy behinds and getting out on the street.
Think I'll give the car's road tax a miss next year, can't see there being many coppers out and about.
Although when they do, road tax dodgers are top their 'easy pickings' list. Violent trailer trash from OPE being bottom of their list.”