Work on new police station for Minehead to start soon
Avon and Somerset Police has completed the purchase of the former Seahorse Centre on Stephenson Road from Somerset Council and will be refurbishing the building to provide a new police station for Minehead.
The new premises will house an enquiry office, the Neighbourhood Policing Team, and will also provide touchdown desks for response officers. Refurbishment work at the new premises is expected to start in May, with a view for it to be completed and ready to move in to by late autumn 2024.
Temporary Chief Inspector Rebecca Wells-Cole, said, “This is great news that we’re excited to share with the community of Minehead.
“Our existing station in Minehead on Townsend Road is oversized, in need of refurbishment and is no longer suitable to meet the needs of modern policing. This new station will be much more efficient to run and allow us to continue to provide a policing service in Minehead for many years to come.
“The new station will house an enquiry office to enable people to come and speak to us directly. It will also be the new home of our Neighbourhood Policing Team, who will continue to provide a visible policing presence in Minehead, working proactively to solve problems and support our community.”
Part of the new building will be leased back to Somerset Council. Working with other public and social care provider partners, the site will be repurposed to deliver training to health and social care staff as part of a government’s Levelling Up programme to develop a Somerset Academy for Health and Social Care.
Cllr Ros Wyke, Somerset Council’s lead member for Economic Development, Planning and Assets said “It is great to see Somerset Council and Avon and Somerset Police working together to breath some new life into the Seahorse Centre in Minehead. With the police now owning the building, and the forthcoming Somerset Academy annexe being planned, this move shows continued public sector commitment to Minehead and its surrounds.
Police officers and staff will continue to work out of the station at Townsend Road until the new station is ready. The existing site will soon be advertised for sale for a likely future residential scheme, subject to planning permission.
The development proposals for Townsend Road are still at a very early stage. No final decision has been taken and no planning application has yet been submitted. Avon and Somerset Police would like to hear any comments or views that residents may have about the planning proposals by 18th April 2024. Please submit any comments to this form: https://forms.office.com/e/582BeTW6n3