THE main police station serving the city will close for a year to undergo a major refurbishment.

Southampton Central Police Investigation Centre in Southern Road opened just over 11 years ago.

Now Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones is planning to close it for a year over “much-needed upgrades”.

Works are expected to begin in 2023 and officers and staff will be temporarily relocated.

The 36-cell custody block will be out of action for four months while other custody solutions are “being explored”.

Response and patrol teams are already based at different locations, such as Portswood, as they serve the city.

The public front office will be re-located, but services will remain in the heart of the city and be easily accessible to the public.

“In my role as Police and Crime Commissioner, I have a responsibility to ensure the police estate is fit for purpose and allows officers to do their job well and efficiently,” said Ms Jones.

“My ongoing review of the estate strategy identified the need to make improvements to Southampton Central, which has been serving the people of Southampton and the surrounding areas since 2011.

“This temporary closure will mean work is completed more quickly, minimise the disturbance to the public and officers, and it reduces the potential cost of the overall project.

“I have made this decision early to enable the force to plan and ensure the policing response continues without disruption to the public.”

Planning for the scheme is underway.

Assistant Chief Constable Lucy Hutson said: “The Commissioner has made a bold decision, and one that the force supports.

“Making the required upgrades to this building in one go makes sense, causing the littlest possible disruption to the day to day work of our officers and staff.

“We are confident that the impact on operational policing in and around Southampton will be kept to a minimum as we have plenty of time to get the planning right.”

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