The search for a new home for Hampshire’s police force has finally ended after eight years – but the move will mean Hampshire Police Authority spending at least £16million.

Chandlers Ford, near Southampton, will be the new home for Hampshire Constabulary following a Hampshire Police Authority decision to purchase a site there.

It was decided it was too costly to refurbish their current site in Winchester – a site “not fit for purpose” according to the authority.

Yateley councillor Adrian Collett, one of nine councillor members of Hampshire Police Authority, said he was delighted with the plans.

“It’s an extraordinarily good deal. We were expecting to have to find £20 or £30million, we might do it for £16million,” he said.

The building in Chandlers Ford is currently unoccupied and has been purchased for £9.2million.

It will need major refurbishment with early estimates expecting to be between £7million and £15million over a period of years, depending on the services that end up being housed there.

It is thought it would cost about £11million to refurbish the Winchester site – less than what the authority is expecting to spend on the move to the new site.

But Coun Collett said the old building wasn’t worth investing in. “We could have refurbished it but we would still have a 1960s construct building that we would give only give a few years to and then we would have to invest more.

“It’s very cramped for parking which creates all sorts of inefficiencies. We would rather that people could park up and get to work than drive around for two hours looking for a place to park.”

He noted that gaps in the walls meant staff were freezing in winter, and computers crashed because of overheating in the summer.

He said: “It’s just a dilapidated old building and it would be a waste of taxpayers' money to invest in it. I’m not prepared to be part of wasting money.”

Once the constabulary has relocated to Chandlers Ford, the site will be sold for development.

The police authority will also consider relocating other departments such as a vehicle workshop and the Central Archive Facility. This will mean other properties can be sold and rent can cease, freeing up cash to cover the cost of the project.

Chief Constable Paul Kernaghan said: “The current headquarters building requires extensive investment to extend its useful life, and sadly, it has proved impossible to secure planning permission to stay elsewhere in Winchester.

“I am confident that police officers and police staff will welcome the certainty that the new acquisition brings.”

To find out more, contact Hampshire Police Authority on 01962 871595 or visit Hampshire Police Authority at www.hantspa.org