Work to begin at Trinity Road Police Station site in Bristol

Avon and Somerset Police has completed the sale of Trinity Road Police station to The Guinness Partnership, who will be redeveloping the site as affordable housing, along with a new neighbourhood police station.

Statement from Chief Inspector Vicks Hayward-Melen:

“Completing this agreement is a major step forward and a huge moment for us, it means that construction is just around the corner and that over the next few years, residents will begin to see their new Trinity Road police station take shape alongside this new affordable housing development.

“The existing Trinity Road Police station was no longer fit for purpose, it was oversized, costly to run and no longer met the needs of our local community, or our officers and staff. This new station will provide a better service to the community, it will be designed to reflect changes in how our officers and staff work and it will provide a base for our Neighbourhood Policing team who we want our community to feel confident engaging with.

“Throughout the course of construction, we will be talking with local stakeholders and residents, bringing them along the journey with us, finding out what they want from their local Neighbourhood Policing Team and working with them to provide the best service we can for East Bristol.

“We are hoping to be able to open the doors to the new station by the end of 2027, and until then we will continue to have the same visible presence in the community and the same number of officers patrolling the area.

“If you do need to get in touch with us, you can visit nearby enquiry offices at Fishponds Police Station or The Bridewell Police Station, or you can call 101. In an emergency, always dial 999.”

Full story from The Guinness Partnership below:

The Guinness Partnership, one of England’s largest housing associations, has announced that construction work will shortly start at the Trinity Road Police Station site in Bristol, where new homes and a new police station will be built in its place. 

Avon and Somerset Police previously agreed the sale of the site because, in its current form, it no longer meets the needs of the local community, police officers and staff.  

Guinness has appointed award-winning contractor, The Hill Group, who are set to commence works this month, providing 104 high quality one, two and three bedroom apartments for social rent, to help meet the strong need for affordable housing within the City of Bristol.  

This important affordable housing development is being delivered with financial help from both Bristol City Council and Homes England. The council has awarded £1.5m of capital funding from its Strategic Community Infrastructure funding budget towards the cost of redelivering a police facility on the site, and a further £1.6m through its Affordable Housing Funding policy to support the delivery of the scheme as social rent. 

Kevin Williams, Group Director of Development and Commercial Services at Guinness said: “We’re delighted to have secured planning permission for this exciting development, and to be starting works, and to be working with The Hill Group on our next project in the city.” 

Councillor Tom Renhard, Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homelessness said: “We are delighted to see the Trinity Road development get onto site. This is an excellent example of how the council can support partners to deliver more much-needed social rented homes in the city. This shows what can be achieved through joint working to deliver a shared vision for the creation of new social housing. This development will make a real difference for the people of Bristol, adding to the 14,500 new homes set to have been built in Bristol between 2016 and 2024 – including 600 new affordable homes expected to be delivered in 2023/24, the most in two decades. We are also pleased to be providing funding to enable the re-development of a modern, fit for purpose police station for the city.” 

Allan O’Brien, South West Regional Director at The Hill Group commented: “We are thrilled to embark on the Trinity Road project in Bristol, in collaboration with The Guinness Partnership. We will be creating high-quality and energy-efficient affordable homes to address the critical housing shortage in the city. Additionally, the construction of a new police station which will serve as a valuable new asset, ensuring safety and security for the community.” 

Part of the ground floor of the development will be used as a new police station, serving the needs of the local community and ensuring that the Neighbourhood Policing team continue to have a visible presence in the area.  

Chief Inspector Vicks Hayward-Melen said: “We are excited to see work start at Trinity. This new station will provide a better service to the community, it will be designed to reflect changes in how our officers and staff work and it will provide a visible base for our Neighbourhood Policing team who we want our community to feel confident engaging with.” 

Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford said: “A fundamental element of this deal was to ensure that a new police station for the community would be integral in the development plans, it’s vital that Avon and Somerset Police continues to invest in, and improve, its local policing presence. The changes for Trinity Road are an important part of upgrading and future proofing police stations which serve our communities.” 

During construction, police officers and staff will be temporarily based at nearby locations in Bristol until they can return to the new Trinity Road Police Station. Avon and Somerset Police assure local residents that they will continue to be active in the area, with the same number of police officers and PCSOs on patrol as usual.