NORTH Yorkshire’s police commissioner has ditched controversial plans for a new Northern police base in favour of a new scheme that will see some of the force’s operations relocated to Middlesbrough.
Plans to move North Yorkshire Police force out of its crumbling 17th century manor house headquarters into a new, modern base and custody suite in Hambleton was a key pledge made in Julia Mulligan’s police and crime plan.
But in a surprise announcement the Police and Crime Commissioner has signalled she is now halting controversial plans to build a new HQ and operational police facility at South Kilvington, near Thirsk.
About £620,000 has been spent so far on preparations to build the new base at Thirsk, but Mrs Mulligan estimates halting the plan will save up to £10m.
Instead, some of the North Yorkshire’s operations and facilities will be moved to Cleveland Police’s proposed new headquarters at Hemlington, just over the North Yorkshire border.
This makes the forces one of the first in the country to share resources with a neighbouring police force.
As police forces in the UK face increasingly more severe budget cuts, many are looking to save money by collaborating with other agencies such as fire services.
News that the proposed police building will no longer be built in the village of South Kilvington was welcomed with open arms by many villagers. But there still remains uncertainty about where the police force will relocate to, with its current Grade II listed building being identified as unfit for purpose by Julia Mulligan and North Yorkshire Chief Constable Dave Jones.
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