High hopes Gosport Police Station will reopen next year after delays to multi-million project
There are high hopes Gosport’s police station will be reopened to the public next year with a planning application for its revamp set to submitted within weeks.
Gosport Police Station on South Street closed in 2016 and will be completely renovated in a multi-million project to bring it back to life, with its former cells transformed into modern usable offices at the expanded site.
Giving an update on the social media pages of Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage, the Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones explained there was a delay with submitted the plans as two bat surveys were required - one in the autumn and one in the spring - the second of which is now being completed.
She explained that the planning application would be submitted to Gosport Borough Council in June, and if approved it is expected that work will begin in the summer, a significant delay from the original hopes of it reopening in 2024.
She said: “We are going to be knocking down the section houses and building an extension on the back where the previous cells were.”
The police commissioner said that the costs of the project were also now being finalised.
“I should have contractors on site by September time, she said. “I hope the new police station will be opening around this time next year, with the work starting in September 2025.
MP Caroline Dinenage said: “We’re really looking forward to seeing this back up and running so local people can feel that the police are here and a visible presence.”
Meanwhile, news is still awaited of the fete of former police station buildings which will not be reopened or reused include the former police station site in Cosham.