New £48m Merseyside Police headquarters open

The new HQ will bring 1,100 police officers and staff under one roof

Merseyside Police's new £48m headquarters has officially opened with the promise that it will save the force £250,000 a year.

Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell and Chief Constable Serena Kennedy attended the opening of the new HQ - Rose Hill, on Cazneau Street in Liverpool.

Overlooking Scotland Road and the Queensway tunnel, it will house more than 1,100 officers and police staff.

It is named after Rose Hill Bridewell which was there from 1849 to 1977.

Some 650 officers and staff are to move from the existing headquarters in Canning Place, as well as 350 from an office in Brunswick Dock and 100 from Lower Lane Station.

They will all come together to work at the new four-storey building which has a separate annexe housing a forensic science unit.

The force hopes a large portion of its cost will be recouped by selling Canning Place.

'Amazing building'

Merseyside's Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said it was "absolutely fantastic" the new HQ was "handed over on time and within budget" despite the "challenges thrown up by Covid-19".

She added that the opening "will also save vital money by reducing the force's annual running costs by £250,000 compared to Canning Place".

Construction on the eight-acre site began in September 2019.

Merseyside Police's Chief Constable Serena Kennedy called it "an absolutely amazing building" which will make working practices more efficient and effective.

More than £33m of the money spent on the project was invested by local businesses based within 20 miles of Rose Hill.

The new headquarters also feature a memorial garden dedicated to the officers who have given their lives in public service.

The eco-friendly building has LED lighting throughout and 260 solar panels on the roof with 96 trees planted in its grounds.