Milton Station
The project so far
In September 2020 Cambridgeshire Constabulary submitted an application to Greater Cambridge Shared Planning for a new premises, which will enhance the service for the south of Cambridgeshire by replacing the outdated facilities at Parkside Police Station with a modern police station.
The force considered 22 sites, of which three were suitably sized and available for development, all three of which were in the green belt, and the Milton Park and Ride site was chosen, as it causes the least harm to the area.
The new building will be situated next to the Park and Ride facility in Milton and will include:
- enhanced facilities enabling the Constabulary to respond to, and investigate, complex crimes such as fraud and online investigations more effectively
- 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
Approval was granted in March 2021 by South Cambridgeshire District Council, with a number of conditions that needed to be discharged before a build could start.
One of the conditions was to undertake an archaeological survey and, following initial archaeological discoveries on the land, we had to commission an extensive archaeological review which took around five months to complete.
Once the on-site archaeological dig was completed, we started working with the contractors to finalise the project plans, and work started on site in January 2024.
The facilities we currently have at Parkside police station do not meet today’s policing needs.
Parkside was constructed in the 1960s and is beyond its functional age as a police facility. It would require significant investment to keep the building operational in the mid to long-term and does not have the space to provide the additional cells and modern standards required.
Essential maintenance was completed in 2014, but this was only intended to extend the useable lifespan of the buildings in the short-term.
Issues include:
- It doesn’t meet modern standards – a review by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in 2017 highlighted a number of issues that cannot be overcome at Parkside, including ventilation and condition of the cells
- There is no room to expand the station to provide the station with the necessary facilities
- There are too few cells, so when cells at Parkside are full, we have to transport prisoners 40 miles to Peterborough or King’s Lynn
- The lack of cells, also means that when Parkside is closed for maintenance, we have to transport prisoners to Huntingdon and March
- At present, travelling in and out of the city is time consuming and can detract from policing tasks
December 2023
The early works construction contract with the construction company, Wilmott Dixon, was signed
Site preparation to commence
January 2024
Early works to commence creating the access road, preparing the site and starting work on early drainage and the construction of the foundations
March 2024
Main construction contract to be signed and work to start on the main build
Summer 2024
Main construction of buildings to commence
November 2025
Works completed, the site will be handed over from the contractor to the force, and the new police station will open
Archaeologists started digging at the Milton site in March 2023, as part of the planning conditions, as evidence revealed the land could previously have been occupied in the Roman, Iron and Bronze Ages.
Archaeological Research Services carried out the excavations and more details of the dig and what they uncovered can be found on their website.
Sustainability
The Constabulary agreed it’s Sustainability Strategy in 2022, the overarching strategic outcome is the ambition to pursue a Net Zero position by 2035
The new, modernised policing hub will use less energy and reduce carbon emissions, helping to meet Cambridgeshire’s climate goals. The new design will dispense with gas boilers for heating and utilise air source heat pumps and solar panels for electricity generation.
The current design of the policing hub would achieve an approximate 50% reduction in KW/H energy consumption compared with the existing police station.
We are exploring further areas to bring the building closer to Net Zero Carbon in Operation (NZCIO), although given the specific design requirements of custody suites, this is a challenging task and may be supplemented by further measures after the main build.
City centre location
Our plan to have a city centre presence remains and we are currently looking at suitable locations when the move from Parkside is necessary.
The remaining city centre presence will be focused on Neighbourhood Policing and will include a public enquiry desk.
More details of the location will follow as and when we have updates.
No decisions have yet been made on what will happen to the Parkside site, once the Milton project is completed.
A variety of options will be considered, in accordance with statutory obligations and Force Policy guidance and it will be a matter for the Police and Crime Commissioner, as the legal ‘owner’ of police estate.
Frequently asked questions
The total project cost is estimated to be £45m covering all costs such as fees, planning, archaeology, land purchase, construction and fit out.
Yes. The increase in materials, labour and interest rates have all had an impact on the cost of the project based on the tendered price in the autumn of 2021 compared to the initial budget estimates. The current economic climate continues to pose challenges to the cost of such a significant capital investment.
We continue to review the project plans and designs to ensure we can afford the project, it delivers value for money and provides a much needed modern operational custody facility and police station.
Why have there been delays to the project?
There have been a number of reasons why the project has been delayed.
In addition to the planning conditions we have had to complete, there has been an increase in the price of materials and labour, and the rise in interest rates have all had an impact on the cost of the project, against the tendered price in the autumn of 2021 and compared to the initial budget estimates.
The Covid pandemic has led to a change in some of our working practices, and we have had an uplift of more than 200 new officers, compared to what we had in 2020.
We also had a change of Police and Crime Commissioner following the election in May 2021, and it was only right that the new commissioner was given time to review the plans, as the legal ‘owner’ of police estate.
As well as this, we have developed our sustainability strategy and there have also been building regulation changes to deal with and changes to the Home Office Design Guide for Custody suites.
All of these things combined have led us to regularly review our plans over the past two years, which takes time.
As we are spending public money, we want to make sure we get things right to ensure we are building a police station that meets all of our requirements, is as sustainable as it can be and that meets all of the appropriate regulations.
What will be at the new police station?
The new station will have a custody facility with 24 cells.
Officers and staff based at the station will include:
- Response teams
- Detectives
- Scenes of crime officers
- Some neighbourhood officers
- The senior leadership team for the south area
Some neighbourhood officers and an enquiry desk will remain in the city centre.
Please see 'city centre location' on this page