"Ground-breaking" ceremony marks start of Hertfordshire Constabulary Headquarters redevelopment
The new 9,000 square metre HQ is set to be completed by September 2026.
A literal "ground-breaking" ceremony has taken place on the site of the new Hertfordshire Constabulary HQ in Welwyn Garden City as redevelopment on the site begins.
The ceremony marks the beginning of the construction phase, as Herts police look forward to a state-of-the-art building which will provide a new working environment for over 600 staff.
The 9,000 square metre HQ will be built on the already existing headquarters in the town of Welwyn Garden City and is due to be completed by September 2026.
Chief Constable Charlie Hall, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire Jonathan Ash-Edwards and Stewart Brundell- Managing Director of the main contractor, Willmott Dixon- put spades in the ground during the event.
They were joined by representatives from the constabulary.
See an artist's impression of what the new building will look like below:
Planning permission was granted in July 2022 for the project, whilst demolition of four buildings on the site began in February 2024.
The HQ will be a modern four-storey building that replaces the old inefficient buildings and will achieve a BREEAM Excellent for ultra-high sustainability standards.
It also responds to new policing working methods by providing agile space that addresses staff wellbeing and working needs, and is targeting WELL Platinum Certification; a major benchmark for advancing health and wellbeing within a single building.
Chief Constable Charlie Hall said: “I'm delighted that we've now got to this point. The redevelopment has been a number of years in the making and so to now be breaking the ground is a fantastic point to have reached and a big milestone for the constabulary.
“Whilst we may still be two years away from the finalised building, there's real tangible excitement in the constabulary because we're finally going to get truly fit for purpose facilities that will serve the constabulary for the next 60 years.”
Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire Jonathan Ash-Edwards said: “The redevelopment of police headquarters is an important and major project to provide fit for purpose facilities for police officers and staff delivering critical operational police services to the public.
The decision was taken by my predecessor following full scrutiny of the various options, which concluded that redevelopment of the site was the cheapest option. I will be maintaining close oversight of the project as it comes to fruition.”