Plans have been submitted to create a new police station in Market Place, Kettering.
The application, which has been formally lodged with North Northamptonshire Council, would create a new, visible, and accessible police station in the centre of the town.
The plans would see the empty building – formerly a restaurant – transformed into a modern police station with an open public office where people can visit to report crime, share information and ask for advice face to face.
Kettering Neighbourhood Policing Team will be based in the new station, which will include interview rooms and other operational facilities. The facility will replace their existing, less visible, base within the car park of the Council offices on Bowling Green Road.
Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone said that she is pleased to have found a highly visible location in Kettering town centre that will be accessible to local people and provide a great working environment for police officers and staff.
Danielle said: “I’m thrilled to deliver on the commitment I gave to make policing in the centre of Kettering more visible and accessible. Submitting a planning application and announcing the location is a significant milestone and means we are on the way to having an open public office in the town again.
“People tell me that they want more visible policing in our town centres. They want the reassurance of knowing that their police officers and PCSOs are part of the life of the town, and I know that this helps rebuild trust and strengthen relationships.”
Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet said: “It’s important that our officers and staff are based in the right locations so we can focus on tackling crime and anti-social behaviour and keeping people safe. Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams do a fantastic job, day in, day out, working hard to tackle the issues that matter to people.
“Having a public-facing base that provides great visibility in the heart of the town centre will help to build trust and confidence in the work we are doing – it is the right thing to do for the community and for policing.”
