Guildford: Surrey Police HQ will remain at Mount Browne site

Surrey Police will keep and redevelop its headquarters in Guildford

Surrey Police's headquarters will remain in Guildford after plans to move were shelved.

The force had planned to build a new HQ and eastern base 16 miles away in Leatherhead.

But Surrey police and crime commissioner Lisa Townsend said the policing landscape had "shifted significantly" since Covid-19.

She said redeveloping the Guildford site - the force's home for 72 years - offered the best value for money.

'Outdated and costly'

The force has been at its current base since 1949.

Surrey Police bought the site in Leatherhead in 2019 after the buildings at Mount Browne, Guildford, were deemed to be "outdated and costly" to maintain.

However, plans to develop the site were paused in June while an independent review was carried out to look at the cost of the project.

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said: "The pandemic has presented new opportunities to re-think how we can use our Mount Browne site and retain an estate that has been a part of Surrey Police's history for more than 70 years."

Ms Townsend said: "The most important factor for me is that we provide value for money for our residents and deliver an even better policing service for them."

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