Willmott Dixon has been given the green light to start work later this year on a new £20m building to house Humberside Police’s control centre and other specialist services, after the company agreed a contract and the scheme received planning approval.

The 107,000 square foot, three-storey operational support building, which will be constructed next to the force’s existing facility at Melton West Business Park near Hull, will accommodate over 500 staff and contain a new control room handling all telephone calls and public contact. It will also house specialist units such as major crime investigation to free up space in other buildings to accommodate the uplift in police officers which has increased by around 500 since 2016.

The development is a joint project between Humberside Police Force and Melton West landowners and developers Wykeland Group, supported by planning consultants DLP and designed by Bond Bryan architects. The design includes sustainable features such as energy efficient heating and lighting systems, plus use of environmentally-friendly materials and facilities to encourage staff to cycle to and from work.

Procured via Major Works England and Northern Ireland, a part of the Scape National Construction framework, it is scheduled for completion and opening in 2022.

Police and Crime Commissioner Keith Hunter, who has responsibility for the force estate said: “I am delighted that planning permission has been granted for the new police building at Melton. At this moment of national crisis our thoughts and efforts are naturally on dealing with the tragedy affecting many families and coping with the stresses on our NHS and other public services.

“It is nevertheless hugely important to consider how we emerge from this and position our public services for the future, in what will inevitably be a challenging time as businesses try to re-build and people who have lost jobs try to regain their former employment or seek new work. Being able to confirm this new building will now go ahead is therefore a great announcement for our area. It will create jobs and boost supply lines throughout the Humber region. This go-ahead is a statement that we will emerge and Humberside Police will continue to drive forward its ambition to be an outstanding police force. We must invest for the future.

Anthony Dillon, managing director of Willmott Dixon in the North:

“It’s critical that those who work around the clock to keep us all safe have the right facilities and a suitable working environment for 21st century policing. These new modern facilities for Humberside Police are designed to create a state-of-the-art environment, giving control room teams and officers in specialist units the very best support they need to serve the people of Humberside.

“We’re proud to be working in partnership once again with Humberside Police to support the modernisation of its estate, having also delivered the Birchin Way custody facility in Grimsby, the first to be delivered using our CODE pre-designed concept which we believe is the next generation for custodial facilities.”

Wykeland Managing Director Dominic Gibbons said: “This is excellent news and we are delighted construction will now begin. The new building will provide Humberside Police with another state of the art facility, to complement the existing centre, and enhance further Melton West’s reputation as an outstanding location for investment by blue chip organisations. Melton West is rapidly becoming established as one of the most prestigious and desirable business parks in the North of England, with several other exciting developments in the pipeline.”

This latest police scheme adds to Willmott Dixon’s presence as a major constructor of blue light and custodial facilities, with the company responsible for schemes worth nearly £200m in the last three years as emergency forces make better use of their property to become more efficient, save on running costs and create a better environment for staff and detainees.