Willmott Dixon starts on £14m Cheshire Constabulary base

Replacing a RAAC and asbestos-impacted 60-year-old Crewe police station, the 22,500 sq ft new-build is lined up to open early next year and to be net zero in operation.

Main contractor Willmott Dixon has broken ground on the 2.8-acre greenfield site off Mill Farm Drive and south of Crewe town centre. The Cheshire Constabulary base will be mostly used as offices by the police force’s 300 staff. It was designed by Corstorphine & Wright and has been costed at £14m.

When complete, the constabulary office will have 210 parking spaces, including 20 EV spaces and five accessible ones.

To achieve net zero in operation status, the building has been designed with a fabric-first approach and will feature rainwater harvesting, a green wall, and permeable paving.

“Modern policing needs modern infrastructure,” said Dan Price, police and crime commissioner for Cheshire at the project’s groundbreaking ceremony.

“This net-zero project in Crewe delivers on my commitment to modernise our policing estate, creating a smarter, sustainable working environment for officers,” he continued. “It’s an investment in the future of policing in Cheshire and I can’t wait to see the progress over the next year.”

Willmott Dixon secured the contract via the Procurement Hub.

Mike Poole-Sutherland, North West director at Willmott Dixon, said: “We are proud to play our part in ensuring Cheshire officers have the modern facilities and the very best support to provide the most efficient police service for the area.

“We also want to leave a legacy beyond bricks and mortar and will be supporting the Cheshire economy by using local businesses and creating local employment opportunities whenever possible during construction.”

Accordingly, the contractor has committed to creating T-Level and apprenticeship opportunities for local young people.

While construction is ongoing, the constabulary will work to establish a smaller police hub within Crewe town centre. One this is found, the current police station will be vacated and that site will be put on the market.

Planning for the new police hub was approved in principle at Cheshire East Council’s July planning committee meeting. You can see the application by searching 25/1373/FUL on Cheshire East Council’s planning portal. The project team included Plan Red, Flinders Chase, and Tier consult.