A police force has said that a project is "financially on track" after rumours about surging costs swirled. 

Durham Constabulary announced plans for a new centralised investigations centre in Spennymoor in 2020, built to replace ageing custody suites in Bishop Auckland, Darlington, Peterlee and Durham City. 

The new hub will house the county’s only bespoke custody suite alongside forensic and investigative facilities. The decision to close the regional suites came after government inspectors highlighted “the poor physical conditions” in some sites.

A Freedom of Information request about the Thinford construction site outlines that the cost of the project to date is £26,162,429. 

Though the same FOI said there is currently no date set for the suite's opening, as "practical completion of the construction has not yet been achieved," the force has said that handover is expected later this year. 

Initially, the project was forecast to cost £21m, and be open by Spring 2023. 

Though the force has admitted completion delays of over a year, they maintained that the project remained on budget, despite exceeding initial estimates. 

A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said: “The Investigative Hub will provide a modern custody environment which will be safer for both our staff and detainees and a more efficient means of managing detention.

“It represents a step change in our operational capability and will provide state-of-the-art accommodation for CSI, forensic storage and investigative teams.

“The construction budget was fixed in 2021 and since then the project has remained financially on track and within budget.

“We have experienced some delays in completion but are working closely with the main contractor and anticipate handover of the building later this year”.

PCC Joy Allen scrutinised the plans in detail before she gave the go-ahead for the Hub’s development.  

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 She said today: “This development, which represents a significant investment, will provide first class facilities for years to come for staff, partner services, visitors and those in custody.  It is bringing over £20m into the region, £10m in County Durham alone, through the social value benefits I incorporated into the Tender. 

"As much money as possible is being spent in the local community bringing a welcome boost to many businesses and individuals.

“With regards to the rumours circulating, I’ve heard them, but that’s not what I’m seeing when I visit the site. 

"This is an exciting time for Durham Constabulary, and I look forward to the grand opening.   As with any development, there are a few snags to be sorted out, and I have made it clear that they must be addressed before I pick up the keys, but I’m assured we are on track and within budget.”