The new police station that will serve H&I is due to open its doors this summer, according to Cambridgeshire Police.
The £45 million modern policing hub in Milton located next to the Park and Ride is almost complete, and aims to replace Parkside Police Station, which is now considered outdated.
Milton Station has taken over two-and-a-half years to build. Once operational, it will have 24 cells – double the number currently available at Parkside – as well as enhanced facilities to investigate complex crimes.
The station’s location and layout has been chosen to better reflect the area’s population growth and aims to improve response times, allowing officers to reach incidents more efficiently.
Originally scheduled to open in November 2025, the project has faced delays.
For example, since planning permission was granted in March 2021, changes to building regulations and updated Home Office guidance on custody suites have required revisions to the design. Also, an archaeological survey – part of the planning conditions – led to discoveries on the site, triggering a further five-month review.
Cambridgeshire Police’s webpage about the Milton Station project says: “As we are spending public money, we want to make sure we get things right to ensure we are building a police station that meets all of our requirements, is as sustainable as it can be and that meets all of the appropriate regulations.”
Sustainability
The new station also forms part of Cambridgeshire Police’s ambition to reach Net Zero carbon emissions by 2035. The building will incorporate air source heat pumps and solar panels, with the aim of reducing energy consumption by 50 per cent in comparison with Parkside.
The Milton Station’s webpage says: “We are exploring further areas to bring the building closer to Net Zero Carbon in Operation, although given the specific design requirements of custody suites, this is a challenging task and may be supplemented by further measures after the main build.”
Parkside’s future
Parkside Police Station was built in the 1960s and is widely regarded as having exceeded its functional lifespan. While essential maintenance was carried out in 2014, this was only intended as a short-term solution.
A 2017 inspection by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary identified significant issues, including poor ventilation and deteriorating custody conditions, which cannot be fully resolved within the existing structure.
The site also lacks space for expansion and improvements, meaning detainees must sometimes be transported to facilities in Peterborough or King’s Lynn when Parkside is full. Cambridgeshire Police also says it is time consuming travelling in and out of the city to get to incidents.
No final decision has been made on what will happen to the Parkside site in the future. However, plans are in development to maintain a city centre presence focused on neighbourhood policing, and will include a public enquiry desk.
For further information, visit the Milton Station page on Cambridgeshire Police’s website.
