Plans for a new state-of-the-art police station in Swaffham have been given the green light.

Members of Breckland Council's planning committee voted unanimously in favour of the plans which will see a new station built on greenfield site within Swaffham Ecotech Business Park.

The new facility, which forms part of Norfolk Constabulary's 2020 vision, will replace the existing police station in Acre Road.

The vision proposed to close many of the smaller public enquiry offices and build two new state-of-the-art facilities, one in the east of the county and one in the west, which aim to provide better resources for investigations.

Council case officer Rebecca Collins told the planning committee meeting on Monday that the new station will be built to the west of Waitrose and to the south of the A47. She said that while most of the site will be a 'sea of car parking' the police will use this to store fleet vehicles. Planning committee vice chairman William Richmond told members the new station will be used as an investigation hub for crimes such as domestic abuse, rape and fraud.

All committee members approved the plans in a meeting which lasted no longer than three minutes.

Committee chairman Nigel Wilkin asked whether the police station would have public access to which Ms Collins confirmed it would.

The design and access statement for the new station reads: 'This brand new facility will aim to seamlessly combine the decentralised police services into one central hub, allowing for better integration and harmonisation between the services.

'The design intent is to create a more fluid and flexible facility that engages all users of the building within shared spaces where possible in order to reduce the overall footprint of the building.

'Located within Swaffham Ecotech Business Park the site will provide easy access to the A47 which is the main artery road across Norfolk, providing the services on site with improved connectivity.'

Original proposals for the new station in Swaffham set out in the 2020 vision said the cost of the premises would be £3.5m plus £500,000 IT infrastructure costs.