Funding pot of £5m approved for new Exmouth police station

Devon and Cornwall's Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable have approved £5m in funding to build a brand-new police station in Exmouth.

The new two-storey station would feature a face-to-face enquiry desk, and be built on part of the same North Street site with the rest sold for redevelopment.

No planning application has yet been submitted to East Devon District Council, which means building work will not begin for some time.

The current police station closed to the public - except by appointment - in 2015, but is still used by officers.

The new station would be the operational base for about 60 officers and staff including response officers, neighbourhood officers, PCSOs, and special constables.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said: "Exmouth is Devon's largest town and sees a huge increase in its population in the summer months.

"People love the idea that they can walk into a station and talk to a real human being to report crime, receive advice on crime prevention and seek help for victims, so there is no way I am going to miss the opportunity to give this town back its front desk.

"As with other police-station-building projects, I am insisting that a significant proportion of the public monies that we are investing in this project go to local people so that money benefits the local economy.

"The release of brownfield development land means additional housing can be provided in the town without greenfield sites being developed."

Simon Jupp, Conservative MP for East Devon, said: "I am really pleased Exmouth's new police station has taken another step forward with multi-million-pound investment planned in the town. The new state-of-the-art station will be open to the public with a dedicated front desk which I know is important to residents in East Devon."

The Commissioner will now be working with the local community to engage them with plans before a formal application is submitted to the district council.

Contractors interested in submitting a full tender for the project will reportedly "have to demonstrate a commitment to using local tradespeople".