Willmott Dixon has been appointed to develop a new £18 million custody suite for Bedfordshire Police.

Procured through Major Works England and Northern Ireland, part of the Scape National Construction framework, the new facility will include a 22-cell custody block, offices for police and staff, as well as parking and associated external works. Located at their Kempston headquarters, the new custody suite will replace a temporary variant and is the first major building commissioned at the site since 2005.


Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Kathryn Holoway, said: "Since the old Greyfriars station in Bedford closed down because its custody suite was not fit for purpose, its replacement has been being planned. This has been a priority for me and I’m absolutely delighted to get this build underway on my watch. This is essential as our detention staff and officers deserve to have the best working environment we can provide and we need to remember that those in police custody have not yet gone before a court and are innocent until proven guilty."

Chris Tredget, Managing Director of Willmott Dixon in London and the East: "We are delighted to build on our strong pedigree in the blue light sector to deliver a new state of the art custody suite for Bedfordshire Police. Having built similar facilities in the region, we are collaborating closely Bedfordshire Police to ensure that the facility will meet all of their requirements and needs, providing a state-of-the-art building and better environment for all."