The Surrey Police Headquarters will remain at the Mount Browne site in Guildford following a landmark decision made by the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Force.
Previous plans to build a new HQ and Eastern operating base in Leatherhead have been halted in favour of redeveloping the current site which has been home to Surrey Police for the last 70 years.
The decision to remain at Mount Browne was agreed by PCC Lisa Townsend and the Force’s Chief Officer team on Monday (22nd November) following an independent review carried out on the future of the Surrey Police estate.
The Commissioner said that the policing landscape had ‘shifted significantly’ in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and that having considered all options, redeveloping the Guildford site offered the best value for money for the Surrey public. The former Electrical Research Association (ERA) and Cobham Industries site in Leatherhead was purchased in March 2019 with the intention of replacing a number of existing police locations in the county, including the current HQ in Guildford. However, plans to develop the site were paused in June this year whilst an independent review, commissioned by Surrey Police, was carried by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting (CIPFA) to look specifically at the financial implications of the project. Following recommendations from CIPFA, it was decided three options would considered for the future – whether to continue with plans for the Leatherhead base, to look at an alternative site elsewhere in the county or to redevelop the current HQ at Mount Browne. Following a detailed assessment – a decision was taken that the best option to create a policing base fit for a modern day police force while providing the best value for money for the public was to redevelop Mount Browne. Whilst plans for the site are still very much in the early stages, the development will take place in phases including a new joint Contact Centre and Force Control Room, a better location for the internationally renowned Surrey Police Dog School, a new Forensic Hub and improved facilities for training and accommodation. This exciting new chapter will renew our Mount Browne site for the officers and staff of the future. The site in Leatherhead will also now be sold.
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