Progress on new police station viewed by Commissioner

Building work on a new Police Station in Dovercourt has progressed since construction began in July.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst MBE, Tendring District Commander Stuart Austin and the building contractors Pentaco visited the site to mark the completion of the first milestone in the project – the completion of the timber frame.

The construction team will now move on to the next stages which include finalising the roof, installation of windows and doors and internal works.

Work is expected to be completed in the Summer, with the station due to open shortly after. The plans for Dovercourt Police Station were approved in October 2023 and is the first new police building to be constructed in Essex in 17 years. It will provide modern, purpose-built facilities for officers and staff serving the local community.

The station will be an operational policing base for officers and staff with no public front counter.   

Roger Hirst MBE, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said:

“It's very pleasing to see work progressing on a new Essex Police base in Harwich, on the same site as an Essex County Fire and Rescue Service station.

“The PFCC encourages partnership working between all emergency services and a recent review has shown the Essex Emergency Services Collaboration Programme (ESCP), a partnership between Essex Police, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS), the East of England Ambulance Service Trust, and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC), has saved £20million of public money in an ongoing programme of collaboration since 2017.”

Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said:

“It is great to see the progress that has been made on the new Dovercourt Police Station since July. The current police station in Harwich no longer meets our needs and would require major upkeep.

“The new station is a commitment to our neighbourhoods, allowing us to protect and serve our communities the best we can. 

“We value our neighbourhoods which is why we have increased local presence through our Neighbourhood Policing Teams to increase visibility and reduce crime even further. 

“Crime is down across the Tendring district with 160 fewer offences recorded in the year to the end of October compared to the previous 12 months.

“This means fewer homes broken into, fewer cars stolen, fewer people robbed and fewer incidents of serious violence.”