UNUSED land at Warwickshire Police’s headquarters in Leek Wootton has been sold to a housing developer.
Warwckshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe said the cash would allow the force to secure the remaining land for police use.
The sale price has not been disclosed, and the number of homes set to be built by Cala Homes has yet to be agreed by Warwick District Council’s (WDC) planning committee.
The site – which is not being used by the force for any operational activity – has been allocated for residential development in Warwick’s Local Plan.
The remainder of the Leek Wootton site, which is still in use, will continue to form the force’s headquarters.
Police chiefs say the deal will allow further investment to be made in the headquarters, including the listed Woodcote House which forms the centrepiece of the Leek Wootton site.
Mr Seccombe said: “Having re-established Leek Wootton as the force’s headquarters, it is good to be in a position to secure its future for policing for many years to come.
“I am pleased to have concluded this deal with Cala Midlands, as it means we can now fully invest in the parts of the site that are being used for policing, while benefiting from the extra funding that has been realised through this sale.
“The force headquarters has come back to life over the past two years and I am pleased that, with this deal, the full range of operations being delivered at Leek Wootton will continue, unaffected by the sale.
“We can now plan for the future and invest in the site and its facilities, renovating a number of areas which have not seen major investment for some considerable time, improving working conditions for the officers and staff who work at Leek Wootton and across the wider police estate.”
Bernie Vent, Regional Land Director at Cala Homes, said the developer would now prepare and submit a planning application to WDC with the aim of starting building in 2023.
Leek Wootton has a long history with policing, having first been established as the headquarters of the then Warwickshire Constabulary in 1949 and continuing in this role until 2011, when chief officers moved to the Leamington Justice Centre.
In 2019, following the end of the alliance with West Mercia, it was designated as Warwickshire Police’s headquarters once again, with chief ffoicers moving back to the site and a wide range of services and departments re-established.
