A modern policing base for a growing county
Willmott Dixon has delivered a new, purpose-built policing hub for Cambridgeshire on land adjoining Milton Park & Ride, on the northern edge of Cambridge. The scheme replaces the force’s 1960s Parkside station in the city centre, a building long considered beyond its functional life, with a modern custody suite and operational base designed around the demands of contemporary policing.
Positioned to serve the fast-growing communities of the south of the county, the new station improves road access and response times while giving officers and staff a modern, resilient working environment.
At the heart of the building is a 24-cell custody suite – double the capacity of Parkside – supported by medical and interview facilities, secure detainee movement routes, and clearly segregated public and staff zones. Enhanced accommodation enables the Constabulary to investigate complex crimes such as fraud and online offences more effectively, while flexible office and welfare space supports day-to-day operations and staff wellbeing.
What we delivered
- A 24-cell custody suite – double the capacity of the outgoing Parkside station – with secure holding, medical and interview facilities.
- Secure vehicle access routes and controlled entry zones for the safe, controlled movement of officers and detainees.
- Enhanced facilities to investigate complex crimes, including fraud and online offences.
- Flexible operational office accommodation and modern staff welfare space, including breakout and quiet rooms, showers and cycle storage.
- Integrated security systems compliant with national policing infrastructure standards.
- Air source heat pumps, roof-mounted solar panels and a fabric-first design targeting an approximate 50% reduction in energy use.
Specialist expertise on a complex, heritage-rich site
Delivered through the SCAPE framework using a proven CODE custody product model, the scheme demonstrates Willmott Dixon’s expertise in the specialist blue-light and custodial sector. Our team managed the demanding security, compliance and design requirements unique to custody environments – including secure vehicle access, controlled entry, and specialist M&E installations compliant with Home Office custody guidance – alongside the challenges of a green-belt site with significant archaeological heritage, where an extensive five-month excavation uncovered Roman, Iron Age and Bronze Age remains before construction could begin.
“This is an important investment in policing infrastructure for Cambridgeshire. The new South Station will ensure our officers and staff have the right facilities to protect the public, investigate crime, and deliver visible policing in a way that is modern, safe, and sustainable.”
Jackie Golby — Strategic Director of Estates, Cambridgeshire Constabulary
A sustainable, Net Zero-ready facility
Sustainability is central to the scheme, supporting the Constabulary’s ambition to reach Net Zero by 2035. The building dispenses with gas boilers in favour of air source heat pumps and roof-mounted solar panels, and is designed to achieve an approximate 50% reduction in energy consumption compared with Parkside.
Targeting a BREEAM Very Good rating, the design also incorporates a high-performance building fabric, low-carbon M&E systems, a sustainable drainage strategy and infrastructure for future photovoltaic expansion.