Greater Manchester Police (GMP) take possession of their new Force Headquarters in Central Park.
Police leaders and partners gathered to witness the building developers Ask:Goodman present a ceremonial key to Cllr Paul Murphy of Greater Manchester Police Authority (GMPA) and Chief Constable Peter Fahy of GMP to signify completion of the construction.
GMPA Chairman Cllr Paul Murphy said: “This new HQ building will be the most modern, fit-for-purpose police building in the UK and that is something GMPA is extremely proud of. A project of this scale and size takes an incredible amount of hard work and commitment from everyone involved and I’m delighted we’ve made excellent progress throughout.
We are at the start of an exciting new era of policing and it is extremely reassuring to know that the police officers and staff who work to keep Greater Manchester communities safe have the 21st Century tools they need to do a good job.”
Ken Knott, Director of Ask:Goodman, said; -The handover of the Force HQ building is a momentous day for Ask:Goodman and Central Park. A building of this scale and distinction always creates a huge impact and we are looking forward to seeing it in use. With a dedicated tram stop for Central Park and over 1,000 people working at Force HQ, the Park’s vibrant business community will receive a considerable boost.”
Now the main building work is complete, the next exciting phase is the post contract fit out of the six storey building which will see the installation of IT, furniture and audio visual equipment prior to staff moving in later in the year.
GMP Chief Constable Peter Fahy said: “This building was clearly approved before the spending cuts but actually will prove to be an excellent investment for the future. Over the long term it will enable us to reduce our accommodation costs and allow staff to work in new and innovative ways. The purpose of headquarters is to support those who provide the frontline service to the public. This wonderful building will help us to keep headquarter costs to the minimum but is also a vote of confidence in the future of GMP and we are very grateful to the Police Authority and of course to the tax payers of Greater Manchester for providing a state of the art facility.”
The new development replaces the Force’s current headquarters, Chester House, in Old Trafford, which is beyond economic repair. The flexible design of the new building and the modern network that has been installed should go a long way towards future-proofing the headquarters and will help ensure GMP is able to meet the challenges of policing the Greater Manchester area for years to come.
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