News

Revamped police station opens as part of £1.5m work project

April 05, 2005

FARNBOROUGH’S police station will reopen on Wednesday after it was closed to the public in February for refurbishment.

The station’s front desk temporarily closed for extensive work to be carried out to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act which came into force last October.

While the station’s reception was closed Rushmoor Borough Council came to the public’s rescue by offering part of its reception area to the police, which was staffed by either a police officer or a civilian station officer five days a week.

The council’s interview rooms were also made available so members of the public could discuss confidential issues with the police in private.

At the time of the closure councillors were angry because they had not been told of the situation by the police and only found out about it when the Mail broke the news to them.

At a full council meeting a few days later Cllr John Marsh, borough council leader, announced he would be holding a high-level meeting with the police to find out why he had not been told of the station’s temporary closure to the public.

The work at Farnborough police station has cost £54,000 and is part of a £1.5 million investment to provide better facilities and services to the people of north-east Hampshire.

Also included in the investment is the current work at Aldershot police station to refurbish and provide extra office space and custody areas, replace the windows, resurface the car park, provide a vehicle wash-down area and add an extra staff restroom and kitchen.