Plans for a new police station to act as a “centre for excellence” on the edge of Norwich have been given the green light by councillors.

Eastern Daily Press: Norfolk Police are set to build a new eastern policing hub at Broadland Gate Business Park, in Postwick. Photo: Chaplin FarrantNorfolk Police are set to build a new eastern policing hub at Broadland Gate Business Park, in Postwick. Photo: Chaplin Farrant (Image: Archant)

Norfolk Police submitted plans for a new police station building - to act as an eastern policing hub - at the Broadland Gate Business Park at Postwick near the NDR and the A47.

The site, which will form part of the constabulary’s 2020 vision, will replace a number of smaller stations in Acle and Sprowston.

It follows the construction of a new state-of-the-art western hub, at Swaffham’s Ecotech Business Park, which was granted full planning permission last year and is now close to completion.

READ MORE: Town to get new state-of-the-art police station

Eastern Daily Press: Norfolk Police are set to build a new eastern policing hub at Broadland Gate Business Park, in Postwick. Photo: Chaplin FarrantNorfolk Police are set to build a new eastern policing hub at Broadland Gate Business Park, in Postwick. Photo: Chaplin Farrant (Image: Archant)

And at a meeting of Broadland District Council’s planning committee, councillors praised the “sympathetic development” and voted unanimously for the project to move ahead.

Speaking at the meeting, planning officer Ben Burgess told councillors officers from the road policing and safer neighbourhood teams would be relocated from Acle and Sprowston “to create a centre of excellence for detective investigation, safeguarding and public protection, located strategically to serve Norwich and wider East Norfolk communities”.

He added: “I consider this proposal to be completely in line with the principle of development and will house 240 jobs.

“I consider the development is acceptable - it’s exactly the kind of thing we want to see. I consider the design of the buildings to be aesthetically pleasing, the layout to be well thought through and the impact on nearby residents to be minimal.”

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While Mark Camidge, director and architect at Chaplin Farrant, who designed both schemes for Norfolk Police, said: “This is required as part of the policing 2020 model and this is running in tandem with the western hub at Swaffham. Both of these are critical infrastructure facilities.”

He added: “Swaffham is due to be completed in the next few weeks. It’s been a really collaborative approach and a positive experience.”

Roger Foulger, Conservative councillor, said: “Clearly it is a very sympathetic development in what is required. The layout of the buildings is extremely good and sympathetic to the area.”

And Liberal Democrat councillor Caroline Karimi-Ghovanlou added: “I just think the design is lovely. It’s a very nicely designed police station.”

Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the proposals.

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