- The land that was home to Gloucestershire Constabulary’s former headquarters has been sold for over £7,000,000
- The purchasers, CALA homes, will pay an extra £100,000 subject to them getting ‘acceptable’ planning permission
- Much of the money has already been invested in other parts of the police estate
- Plans to sell the site have been in the pipeline for more than a decade
Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl formally completed the multi million pound sale of the Constabulary’s former headquarters, Holland House, today.
Holland House is sold
All the legal requirements have now been completed enabling CALA Homes to take possession of the site in Lansdown Road, Cheltenham.
The sale price has been agreed at £7,150,000 with an additional £100,000 subject to the homebuilder achieving acceptable planning permission.
Mr. Surl said, “This has been on the Constabulary’s agenda for more than a decade but due to circumstances, many of them outside their control, it has taken longer to achieve than first envisaged. Unravelling plans that were going nowhere and sorting out the police estate was among my first objectives.
“Selling now represents a good deal for council tax payers and with most of the money re-invested in the new investigative centre, Prism House, and custody facility, Compass House, it means a more suitable working environment for staff who have re-located”.
Dan Forrester, land director for CALA Homes, said: “This will be a flagship development for CALA. Our plans are to create a high quality development of apartments and townhouses in keeping with the local area”.
In fact, the deal brings to an end a re-organisation which was first proposed more than a decade ago, though the Constabulary still retains a presence in Lansdown Road which has been its home since 1921.
Holland House was purchased in 1921 for a cost of £300. An equivalent amount was spent by the then Police Authority on ‘modernisation.’
The new Talbot House was acquired in 1965 and immediately taken over as Force HQ whilst Holland House was demolished and re-constructed in its present form and occupied in June 1970
The ‘new’ Holland House, formerly known as Wilton House, is just a few doors along from the sale site and was officially opened by the former High Sheriff of Gloucestershire Dr. Roger Head last year. It is now the base for PCSOs, neighbourhood and local investigation officers.
Members of the public can also go there by prior appointment for interviews, to give statements or in an emergency – as well as Hester’s Way Police Station. It is hoped an alternative public reception will open in the town centre soon.
Sale of Police Station site in Lansdown Road – by numbers
- 4 buildings (Holland, Talbot, annexe, garages)
- 156 days (to move)
- 500 personnel (to be relocated over the course of 18 months )
- 500 lockers
- 1500 desks
- 1000 chairs desk and side chairs
- 1921 the year Holland House was bought for the police
- 7,500 handyman hours
