A NEW Police Investigation Centre has been given the go-ahead by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

As previously reported in The Gazette, Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Hayes’ office submitted a planning application to build a new two and three-storey Police Investigation Centre (PIC), a single-storey custody building and a two-storey van dock in Jays Close, Viables.

The multi-million pound investigation centre, which will cover Basingstoke, Winchester, Andover, Alton, Aldershot and Farnborough, will include 36 custody cells and a public facing lost and found property desk.

It is hoped the new base, which was chosen to be built in Basingstoke due to its “excellent road networks”, will allow frontline police officers to resume and patrol their local communities quicker after taking people to be kept in custody to the centre.

The centre will accommodate 350 members of staff on a shift basis. However, only 210 members of staff are expected to be there at any one time. The site will be operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week but most activity will take place between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

The borough council’s decision-making Cabinet approved plans to grant Hampshire Constabulary a 250-year lease at peppercorn rent in January.

The site, which is located between Sony and De La Rue, is currently vacant and doesn’t generate any funds for the borough council.

The project has now been given a further boost after planning officers from the borough council approved the planning application.

Simon Hayes said: “When I launched my estate strategy in 2013, I committed to replace ageing custody cells with modern Police Investigation Centres to meet future policing needs and to ensure frontline police officers could return to duty quicker, to patrol the areas they serve.

“Today I am delighted to announce that planning permission has been received for the construction of a Police Investigation Centre in Basingstoke, for the northern area of Hampshire, and works will start on site soon.”