North Yorkshire Police to change its headquarters in £7m move

North Yorkshire Police's current HQ at Newby Wiske Hall costs over £1m a year to run

North Yorkshire Police is to move its headquarters to a former government office in Northallerton.

The force has bought Alverton Court, which used to house the Rural Payments Agency, to replace its current home at Newby Wiske Hall.

The new building cost £4.5m and fitting it out is expected to be an additional £2.5m.

Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan claimed the new HQ would save the force £4m over the next 30 years.

"Moving from a Grade II listed stately home, costing over £1m a year to run, into this much more practical and modern building is very welcome indeed," she said.

"Reducing the cost of North Yorkshire Police's estate is an important part of meeting our savings targets, and frees resources which we can focus on front-line policing; resources which will become increasingly scarce over the next few years."

The new headquarters building is located six miles away from Newby Wiske Hall, which will be sold.

Last year the force shelved its £18m plan to buy a site in Thirsk because it "no longer offered value for money".

The new building is expected to be operational by autumn 2017.