Police station being made into divisional hub

Work is under way on a £2.5m project to transform Pudsey Police Station into one of the main policing hubs serving North West Leeds Division.

Over the next six months, the station at Dawsons Corner will undergo a major refurbishment and redevelopment programme.

The project includes developing a purpose-built 22-cell custody complex, which will replace the division's current custody facilities at Weetwood Police Station and its share of Leeds Bridewell in the city centre.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Chief Superintendent Ian Whitehouse, Divisional Commander for North West Leeds, said: "This is a landmark development for the division that will provide us with vastly improved custody facilities at one central location.

"Our existing custody facilities are becoming outdated and will soon need to be replaced and are inconveniently split between two sites. The creation of one central location with state-of-the-art facilities will help to make our officers more effective and efficient and better able to serve local communities.

"The redevelopment of the site will also provide improved facilities for visitors to the station and an enhanced working environment for the officers and staff based there."

He said that "it will be very much business as usual" during the redevelopment work.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Chief Supt Whitehouse added: "The helpdesk will remain on site throughout as will the local neighbourhood policing teams, although those officers spend the vast majority of their time out working in local communities anyway. The work is being carried out with the absolute minimum of disruption to our neighbours and people using our services."

In mid-July six temporary buildings will be installed in the front car park to accommodate the neighbourhood policing teams and helpdesk along with other officers and staff normally based at Pudsey.

In August, demolition work is scheduled to begin on some of the ground floor buildings at the back of the station.

The next stage will see pre-fabricated units lifted into place to create the new custody complex.

Officers and staff are due to move back into the station in October, with the first new cells being operational in November.

Related topics: