Dorset Police consider the future of their Winfrith HQ
It was built during the cold war and is costly to run
Dorset police may be stuck with its ‘bomb proof’ Winfrith headquarters for some time – even though the building is costly to run and maintain.
The HQ is currently costing £500,000 a year, according to figures produced at a recent county police and crime panel.
Police and crime commissioner Martyn Underhill says that because the building was put up during the cold war it was designed to withstand a bomb blast – which makes changes and alterations difficult and costly.
He says that almost the only alternative, if the police want to stay on the site, is to knock the main building down and start again, or live with it and build extension.
Consultants are currently working with the force assessing what the future building needs might be and what, if anything, can be disposed of, and how best to move forward in a changing world.
Mr Underhill says there is no doubt that in many ways the main Winfrith building is no longer fit for a modern police force although he believes it unlikely that there will be a move away from the headquarters site.
Some former HQ functions, such as training, are already located elsewhere.
The force had been in talks with Dorset Council about sharing its offices in South Walks, Dorchester but a statement from both authorities says that will not proceed, for now.
Said Deputy Chief Constable Scott Chilton:
“The Dorset Police estate remains under review. The Office of the PCC and Dorset Police constantly assess the Force’s estate based on the operational needs to deliver the best possible service to the public. This requirement is balanced against the constant financial challenges faced and the modernisation of some ageing buildings, including the Headquarters at Winfrith, which require investment.”
Many Dorset Police buildings no longer have the facilities, even prior to the pandemic, to have the public visit, including Dorchester police station. Custody facilities are now only in operation in Bournemouth and Weymouth, often resulting in long transfer journeys after an arrest.
While most Dorset market towns still have a police station, even though they are largely old buildings, Weymouth still has two with the future of the one in Dorchester Road being questioned over a number of years.