Following a review of the Kent Police estate, the decision was made in May 2020 to close the force’s headquarters at Sutton Road in Maidstone, which had served for the previous 80 years. During that time, the site grew significantly, encompassing a large area surrounding the original Headquarters buildings.
Officers and staff at the site have since been relocated throughout the county to make better use of the force’s other facilities and to bring many operational functions and teams closer to the communities they serve. The decision to leave Sutton Road was based on the potential revenue from the sale of the site, market conditions at the time, and the force’s projected workforce numbers.
Kent Police has seen significant growth in police officer numbers since then, thanks to the Home Office’s Police Uplift Program and continued investment from increases in the local policing precept. This month, the force has more officers than at any time in its history, and it will continue to grow as it has exceeded recruitment targets. This has given us the opportunity to reconsider how the force uses our facilities, and we are pleased to report that it has created an opportunity for the Chief officer team and a slimmed-down Headquarters function to return to the historic Sutton Road site.
The space currently used as Headquarters at North Kent Police Station will be transferred to other operational policing purposes, including commercial leasing. This decision will also open up additional opportunities for savings beyond those already identified.
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner is also located on Sutton Road and is expected to remain there. Co-location with the Chief Constable will also allow for closer collaboration at a critical time for national policing, without the need for new premises. In the near future, PCCs may be granted new powers, which may present opportunities for revenue generation.
More information about the rest of the site, including potential development opportunities, will be made available in due course. This decision will enable us to maximise occupancy and space utilisation throughout the estate, bringing police officers and staff closer to the communities they serve.
We are committed to providing the best value for money for policing services in Kent, and we will continue to review the estate to ensure officers and staff are in the right locations, in buildings appropriate to operational needs, and at the lowest possible cost. The first priority in any decision regarding the use of our estate is to ensure that it provides the best possible policing service to the people of Kent while also providing value for taxpayers’ money.
