Major makeover for the police station deemed ‘too large’ and ‘too expensive’
A general view of Gt Yarmouth Police Station. Pic by Keiron Tovell. - Credit: Eastern Counties Newspapers
Great Yarmouth's police station is 'too large' and 'too expensive' to continue to run in its current form.
Buildings on The Conge being demolished in 1961 to be replaced by police station.PLATE P3036
Plans have been submitted by Norfolk Police to the borough council to transform its base in the town centre.
The borough's policing headquarters in Howard Street South would be reduced by half in size under the proposals.
This is 'in order to provide a police station that matches the force's current requirements and removing surplus space that has considerable costs to retain,' according to planning documents.
The report continues: 'Bearing this in mind it can be stated that the station is beyond its useful life in its current form.
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'This refurbishment has been costed and offers the most economical solution rather than full demolition and a re-build or an alternative site.'
It adds that the building's current 'cellular layout' is not appropriate to the force's future vision of working.
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The existing masonry building will be refurbished, extensions to the east of the building will be demolished along with existing outbuildings. The scheme also includes a small extension to serve as a storage area and potential ambulance station.
The station was built in the 1960s as a two-storey building with a basement with the capability to expand to a third floor, although this was never built. In the 1990s a rear extension was constructed.
The majority of the site is taken up with a single-storey former custody suite. Replacement facilities are now provided at the purpose built Police Investigation Centre recently constructed in Southtown.
The building is of little interest historically, according to the county council's senior historic environment officer, Ken Hamilton.
That is, he said, except for the basement, which was designated to be used as the Great Yarmouth Borough Council Emergency Headquarters in the event of nuclear war.
He said: 'Emergency headquarters were established in the early 1980s, as a response to escalating tensions between the Cold War powers, and tended to be ad hoc creations, using existing structures.'
