New Police Head Quarters on Horizon

Reporter: Ask Bury
Date online: 08 March 2007

Bury police’s new Divisional Head Quarters (DHQ) will be built within 300 yards of the birthplace of the founder of the modern police force, Sir Robert Peel and will provide world class facilities for officers in the town.

Work will start at the end of this year on the £20m facility in the Bury Ground area, which is just a stone’s throw away from the current divisional headquarters that the new building will replace.  It is expected to be operational by Spring 2009 and will provide all police facilities under one roof.

The distinctive new building, designed by architect Jaroslaw Wruleb who also designed the 17 police facilities across Greater Manchester in the recently completed Private Finance Initiative, will have a basement car park with a crime scene examination area.

The first floor will house the custody suite as well as accommodate CID, Crown Prosecution Service staff, the Justice Support Unit and the Prisoner Processing Unit.  Command and support units will be based on the second floor.

The new DHQ is one of the many exciting developments planned for the Bury Ground area - that will be re-named the Chamberhall Business Park – over the next few years. These include 500,000 square feet of new office space, a hotel and leisure facilities, three "villages’ concentrating on professional, technology and innovation, and creative industries and two open, green spaces.

Chief Superintendent David Anthony, Commander for Bury police said: "Much thought and planning has gone into this new building over the last few years and it will provide us with the accommodation and facilities to be able to give the people of Bury the first class policing service they deserve."