Constabulary to consult on proposals for a new police hub in Milton

Cambridgeshire Constabulary is  holding a consultation on proposals for a new police station on the outskirts of Milton.

The current facilities at Parkside Police Station in Cambridge do not allow the Constabulary to fully respond to today’s needs. There is no room to expand the existing station, too few cells, the location is subject to heavy traffic and the building doesn’t meet modern standards.

In February the Constabulary consulted on the principle of proposals to enhance the service for the south of Cambridgeshire by replacing the outdated facilities at Parkside Police Station with both a new city centre police station and a police hub on the outskirts of Cambridge.

The response to the consultation showed significant agreement that the nature of policing and crime in Cambridgeshire is changing, and that the population growth means that we need to respond to increasing demand for police services in the county.

The Constabulary, alongside the Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner, is now undertaking a formal consultation, throughout July, on proposals to build the new hub in Milton.

In total, the Constabulary considered 22 sites, most recently in June 2020, and after assessing a number of criteria including availability, ecology issues, access and infrastructure, a site next to the Park & Ride facility in Milton was considered the best option.

It will be a base for the local community policing team and will enable the police to respond to local population growth and the challenges of modern-day policing.

The benefits of the proposed site include:

• Enhanced facilities enabling the Constabulary to respond to, and investigate, complex crimes such as fraud and online investigations more effectively.
• Enhanced facilities allowing for the increased use of virtual courts which reduces the need for travel to courts.
• Increase in cell provision from 12 to 24 to help meet future demand.
• The facilities and ability to better meet demand as population growth continues.
• Better road access, subject to less traffic, enabling officers to respond to calls for service more efficiently.#

The consultation opened at 9am on 1 July and ends at 5pm on 31 July.

The Constabulary has a consultation website for the community to get involved and provide feedback on the proposals for the Milton site.

There is also a virtual exhibition (due to social distancing guidelines and government advice) to answer questions and hear feedback. This includes a series of live chats through the website which will be held on:

• Saturday 4^th July 10am to 12pm
• Thursday 9^th July 5pm to 7pm
• Wednesday 15^th July 12pm to 2pm
• Tuesday 21^st July from 5pm to 7pm
• Saturday 25^th July from 10am to 12pm
• Thursday 30^th July from 12pm to 2pm

A newsletter has been distributed to 8,500 local properties in and around Milton for members of the public to send in their feedback via the website.

Further methods of contacting the project team, such as via phone and in writing are also available.

The Constabulary also understands there is significant demand for there to be a police station in Cambridge city centre, to act as a base for the city centre policing team, and are committed to providing that. Options are currently being explored, including sharing facilities with other public sector partners. Further details will be provided in due course.

Area Commander for the south of Cambridgeshire, Superintendent James Sutherland said: “Our population is growing and our current police facilities do not allow us to fully respond to today’s needs. New facilities will allow us to improve our response and service to our local community.

“The proposed site at Milton has a number of benefits that will enable us to respond, and investigate complex crimes more effectively, it will increase cell provision, resulting in a more effective use of officer’s time and allowing us to respond to calls for service more efficiently.

“I hope as many people as possible give us their feedback and help shape the future of policing in Cambridgeshire.”

Acting Police and Crime Commissioner, Ray Bisby added: “I fully support the Constabulary’s request to have a police station that is able to meet operational requirements and to better respond to the challenges of modern-day policing.

“As Acting Police and Crime Commissioner, it is my job to listen to public concerns therefore I encourage all local residents to provide their views so these can be taken into account.”