New police and fire services hub nearly complete
CONSTRUCTION of a new multimillion pound joint police and fire service base is nearing completion.
The development at Ascot Drive in Derby will provide a base for staff from both Derbyshire police and Derbyshire Fire and rescue service, as well as other public services.
It will replace the ageing and costly to run Cotton Lane police station and will become an operational hub for 200 staff.
Derbyshire police and crime commissioner Hardyal Dhindsa said the new operational hub was on target to open later this year.
He said: “We have reached an exciting stage of the development and will soon be able to take full advantage of this state-of-the-art facility.
“It is important to everyone living in Derby that we keep our police officers in the heart of the communities in which they serve and this new facility will do just that while bringing them even closer to the full range of responders responsible for their safety.
“Across the police estate, we are exploiting opportunities to integrate and align our work with those of our emergency and public services colleagues. There is no doubt that by sharing our skills and working space, we will become more effective at what we do. This facility promises to really transform the way we work in the future and the benefits will be available for everyone.”
Chief Constable Rachel Swann said: “The new Ascot Drive building shows our continued commitment to policing based in the communities that we serve. We know that the people in these areas want to see officers where they live and work - and this new station will help strengthen this key part of our neighbourhood and response policing.
“This new station is not just about improving our physical estate, it further enhances our relationship with the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service. This kind of partnership is absolutely essential in tackling the multitude of issues that cannot, in the longterm, be solved by policing alone.”
The new police station will be linked to the existing fire station in Ascot Drive and will reduce operational costs for both the force and Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service.
Derbyshire’s chief fire officer/ chief executive Gavin Tomlinson said: “It’s been exciting to follow the progress of building work at Ascot Drive, bringing to life further ambition to collocate and share facilities with our police colleagues.
“The new operational hub, which has been built as part of the existing fire station, is in the heart of the local community, one of the very communities we work to make safer together. “Ascot Drive is the latest collaborative venture with Derbyshire police joining joint stations at Ashbourne, Bakewell, Long Eaton and Shirebrook, a joint headquarters, a joint training centre and two further fire stations that facilitate welfare stops for our police colleagues. By collocating we are able to make efficiency savings and build on each other’s strengths by sharing and exchanging information leading to improved public safety.”
The aim is to improve the response to public safety between both services by promoting greater flexibility and collaboration.