CONTROVERSIAL proposals to build a 48-cell centralised custody suite for County Durham and Darlington have been submitted.

Durham Police wants to close its custody suites at Bishop Auckland, Darlington, Peterlee and Durham ­– replacing them with a new building at DurhamGate, near Spennymoor.

The proposals were revealed last month and were met with a number of concerns from County Durham MPs.

Durham Police has now formally lodged a planning application with Durham County Council, requesting permission to build the two-storey centre opposite Stanley Black & Decker at DurhamGate.

Durham Chief Constable Jo Farrell said: “The new custody and investigations suite is vital in making our detainees and officers safer.

“Most importantly, it will improve our ability to investigate crime and put victims first by ensuring we have the best quality interview rooms and CSI facilities to secure the evidence we need to secure a successful prosecution.

“Even when extra travel time is taken into account, it will mean our cops spend more time on the streets rather than waiting in police stations for hours on end to complete a lengthy prisoner handover.

“Ultimately, that means they have more time to do what they do best: catching criminals, preventing crime and keeping our communities safe, day and night.”

The force says the new building is “urgently needed” to replace the ageing custody suites.

Last year, Government inspectors highlighted “the poor physical conditions” in some custody suites operated by the force and recommended improvements to bring them up to 21st century standards.  

Durham Police says the new centre will allow several detainees to be booked in at once, reducing the average time that arresting officers spend waiting in custody while prisoners are processed and therefore allow the officers to get back out on the streets more quickly.

But concerns have been raised about the cost and the centralisation of custody and its effect on existing police stations, as well as the time taken to transfer prisoners to Spennymoor from other parts of the county. 

Durham Police says the proposal will not have an impact on the number of police stations across the area.

Alongside modern cells, the £21m custody and investigations centre would include interview rooms, CSI facilities, evidence stores and a virtual court to allow officer and prisoners to save time at court by appearing by video link, as well as other facilities such medical surgeries and forensic examination rooms.

It would also incorporate a number of key safety features to protect police officers and detainees along with the health workers and legal professionals who would work there.

Steve White, acting Durham Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner said: “Following an inspection last year by HMICFRS, it was flagged that our current custody suites across Country Durham did not meet required standards by the Home Office.

“The cost to renovate existing custody suites would be much more costly in the short and long term, would not provide value for money for the taxpayer and would still not achieve the standard required.

“Any delay in the decision making process would have caused serious detriment, potentially leading to the loss of site needed for such a complex project and it would also likely result in project costs rising due to inflation.

“A new facility would be a safer environment for our staff and officers to work in by enabling full CCTV monitoring systems to be installed, eradicate all blind spots and provide holding areas that would facilitate officers to book multiple detainees in at once.

"This would have a beneficial impact by allowing officers to get back to the street quickly.”

Officers from Durham Police and staff from the PCVC’s office have carried out a number of engagement events in the area to explain the proposals and address any concerns.

Durham County Council is expected to make a decision on the planning application in the coming months.

If approved, the new centre is due to be completed by 2023.

Members of the public will be able to view the plans and make comments by visiting Durham County Council's planning portal.