New buildings for county police

A number of new police buildings including two custody suites with 70 new cells are to be built in Gloucestershire using private finance.

The force said it had been successful in its bid for private funding initiative (PFI) cash for new regional HQs at Bishops Cleeve and Quedgeley.

The £90m will also be used to build a new headquarters building for the Gloucestershire Police Authority.

In 2006 the force's county HQ at Quedgeley was built using PFI money.

Chief Constable Dr Timothy Brain said: "The new accommodation will ensure that we have the buildings and the technology to promote effective and efficient services with many operational benefits to the community.

The money will be used to build:

• Divisional headquarters for Forest and Gloucester area on land owned by the Gloucestershire Police Authority adjacent to the current County Headquarters at No 1 Waterwells, including 40 cells

• Divisional headquarters for Cheltenham and Tewkesbury area on land owned by the Gloucestershire Police Authority, adjacent to Smiths Industries at Bishops Cleeve, including 30 cells

• New headquarters for the Police Authority