The Kirklees Police HQ will relocate from Huddersfield to Dewsbury by the end of 2024, say West Yorkshire Police.

The force has announced that construction work is due to start this month on a new flagship headquarters on the former Kirklees College site in Halifax Road, Dewsbury.

Once the new building has been completed the current Huddersfield and Dewsbury police stations will be closed.

Huddersfield Police Station in Castlegate will no longer be needed, leaving another empty building in the town centre.

A new police station is planned for the former Nissan/Fiat car dealership site on Huddersfield Ring Road opposite Tesco.

No planning application has yet been submitted but police have confirmed the site has been acquired.

The new Dewsbury HQ will have a custody suite with 30 cells but it is understood there will be no cells at Huddersfield, meaning anyone arrested in Huddersfield or the Colne or Holme valleys will have to be taken to Dewsbury.

Few details have been revealed about the proposed Huddersfield Police Station but it is believed it will accommodate 200 officers and support staff and would include the “provision of a public enquiry counter.”

The boarded-up site of the new Huddersfield Police Station

In a statement West Yorkshire Police said: “A site has been acquired close to the inner ring road to accommodate Huddersfield police teams and include a public helpdesk.

“The existing police stations on Castlegate in Huddersfield and Aldams Road in Dewsbury will continue in full use until the new premises are built.

“It is planned that the new Dewsbury and Huddersfield police stations open prior to the end of 2024.”

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Chief Supt Jim Griffiths, the newly-appointed district commander of Kirklees Police, said: “The last few months have seen us take some huge steps forward in what has been a years-in-the-making project to build much-needed new police stations for Kirklees. It is exciting news that construction is now poised to begin on site at Halifax Road.”

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West Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Alison Lowe, added: “I’m really glad to see the plans for this flagship station in Kirklees now beginning to take shape.

“It represents a new era for policing in the district, delivering both innovation and opportunity.

“Both the Mayor of West Yorkshire and I are excited to see this work continue to develop over the coming months, which will ultimately enable us to deliver against our Police and Crime Plan for the county.”

Huddersfield Police Station in Castlegate

Anthony Dillon, managing director of construction firm Willmott Dixon in the north, said: “We are proud to be working in partnership with West Yorkshire Police to support the modernisation of its estate, and are excited to play our part in delivering a state-of-the-art environment for those who work around the clock to keep us all safe.

“It is vital that officers have the right facilities reflecting modern ways of working, and the very best support they need to serve the people of West Yorkshire.

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“This project will serve generations of officers to come so we are delighted work can begin on site.

“We are focused on leaving a lasting legacy beyond bricks and mortar and that’s why we will be supporting the Kirklees economy and West Yorkshire Police initiatives by using local businesses and creating local employment opportunities whenever possible.”