Police station moves due to concrete fears

Surrey Police has had to move out of its Reigate base

A police station is being temporarily moved due to the discovery of unstable concrete.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was found at Reigate police station in September, leading to officers and staff being transferred to other sites and the front counter being moved to Caterham police station.

The temporary move to nearby St David's House, a vacant building in Wray Park, is expected to last for 18 to 24 months, while the force considers "longer term plans for delivering services".

A spokesperson said: "This prime location, not far from our former Reigate base, enables us to continue to support the residents of East Surrey."

The building has been loaned by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

Surrey Police’s eastern divisional commander, Chief Supt Graham Barnett, said: “While this is a temporary base for us, we also see this as an opportunity, bringing the three emergency services together in one location to enable closer collaborative working with our blue light partners.”

The force said its public-facing, front-counter service would remain in Caterham as there were no suitable locations for this service at Wray Park.

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