Exclusive look at station of future

Plans for the new building, which is set to open in 2018, will go on public display on Saturday.

The designs, which give a basic idea of how it will look, are in stark contrast to the current ageing Bonny Street HQ, which is set to be torn down.

The new Western Division Police HQ building, on the site of the former Progress House council offices on Clifton Road, will provide a new base for local neighbourhood teams, immediate response officers and 42 custody cells.

The move was announced last year and a planning application will be submitted to Blackpool Council later this month.

Lancashire’s police and crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw said it will save the force £180,000 a year in running costs.

He added: “The current Bonny Street premises are way past their sell-by date. The building doesn’t meet modern policing requirements and actually does nothing to enhance the culture and working practices.

“On top of that the current costs of heating and maintaining the building are £500,000 which is a drain on our reducing resources.”

In 2012, a £21m pot of cash was put aside to build the new station.

The Gazette reported last year that a decade of negotiations had concluded when a deal was struck that will see Lancashire Police buy the Progress House site for £2.2m.

The council will buy the Bonny Street headquarters for £3.2m in what is seen as a major step forward for the long-awaited development of the Central Station site.

The Blackpool Town Centre neighbourhood team will relocate to the council’s Municipal Buildings, on Corporation Street, as part of the plans that will also see Blackpool South police station close in 2019. A public enquiry desk will also be provided at the Municipal Buildings.

As part of the build hundreds of local jobs and apprenticeships will be created with local businesses and suppliers given the opportunity to bid for work, Mr Grunshaw said.

Shoppers at the Houndshill Centre will be able to see the plans between 11.30am and 2pm on Saturday as part of the commissioner’s roadshow, when he will be talking to members of the public.

The scheme will also be discussed at the next meeting of the Mereside PACT on January 21 at the Mereside Community Centre.