Green light for new police headquarters in Dewsbury on former college site

West Yorkshire Police and the Mayor of West Yorkshire have welcomed the development which was ratified by Kirklees Council’s planning committee today (Thursday).

Construction work for the new building is now expected to start within the next three months on the site of the former Dewsbury College, on Halifax Road.

The flagship new HQ will incorporate the existing Oldroyd building, and include a custody suite and public helpdesk.

Subject to planning approval, West Yorkshire Police and the Mayor of West Yorkshire also still intend to build a new police station in Huddersfield on the former Nissan/Fiat site adjacent to Broadway.

It will accommodate the Huddersfield South Patrol and Neighbourhood Police Teams currently based at Castlegate.

The existing police stations on Castlegate in Huddersfield, and Aldams Road in Dewsbury, will remain in full use while the new premises are built. They will then be sold when staff and officers have fully relocated.

It is currently projected the new Kirklees police stations in Dewsbury and Huddersfield will be operational prior to the end of 2024.

Chief Superintendent Julie Sykes, District Commander of Kirklees Police, said: “We are very pleased to have been granted planning permission today and have now taken a significant step forwards in delivering this milestone investment in policing in Kirklees.

“With planning permission in place we will move forward with the next phase of the project which will be the initiation of construction works with the next three months.

“We have always stressed the importance of policing in Kirklees remaining fully embedded in communities and this cutting edge DHQ provides exactly.

“Our planning will now continue as work gears up for construction of the new station and the opening of a new chapter in policing in our district.”

Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “This is great news and testament to a huge amount of hard work behind the scenes in finding the best option for the future of policing across the Kirklees District.

“This new investment is in line with my mayoral commitments to support towns, and the police to do their job.

“This new facility will provide a modern, efficient and adaptive base for officers and staff to work from.

“Construction is due to start shortly, and I will be working with West Yorkshire Police around the continued engagement with local communities, as the project moves forward.”