Chard police to rent offices from Numatic while police station revamp is carried out

Chard's police force will be renting office space from one of the town's main employers while a £907,000 revamp of their police station is under way. Avon and Somerset Constabulary published plans in February for a significant refurbishment of Chard police station, located on the A358 Millfield near the town's leisure centre.

Somerset Council granted planning permission for the improvements in early-April, with the police announcing that work would be getting under way by the end of May. While the work is being carried out, local officers will remain based in the town, with officers being provided by Numatic on the nearby Millfield Industrial Estate free of charge.

Under the approved proposals, the station will be fitted with solar panels and air source heat pumps to reduce its energy bills - with the latter attracting funding from central government. New windows will also be installed and repairs made to the existing roof to minimise heat loss, with new fencing and gates being installed for improved security.

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The interior layout will be reconfigured to include a new locker room, accessible toilets and multi-purpose meeting rooms - which can be used for breastfeeding and providing space where officers can pray or meditate). Additional car parking will also be provided with two electric vehicle charging points being included.

The refurbishment work will begin at the end of May and will be finished before Christmas - during which time the neighbourhood policing team will be based at temporary premises provided by Numatic. A local response team will also be based out of Crewkerne for the duration of the work.

Chief inspector Andy Pritchard said: "We want to continue providing a police service in Chard and the surrounding area for many years to come, and this refurbishment will enable exactly that. It will bring the station up to modern policing standards and it will also make the station more energy efficient.

"During the refurbishment we will temporarily be closing the station, but this will cause no change to the number of officers or patrols that we have in Chard. We're extremely grateful to Numatic who have donated office space for our neighbourhood policing team, so they can remain in the town while the work takes place.”

While Chard police station is closed, the closest alternative enquiry offices will be at Yeovil or Taunton. To contact the Chard Neighbourhood Policing Team, visit www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/your-area/chard-town.