Commissioner gives go-ahead to demolition of former GMP headquarters

The demolition of Greater Manchester Police’s former headquarters is set to begin in the next few weeks following final approval from the Police and Crime Commissioner.

A report from Greater Manchester Police on the decommissioning of Chester House went to the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Forum, which is open to the public, on Tuesday 8 January 2013.

Tony said: “The best value for money for the people of Greater Manchester is to demolish Chester House. The building is no longer suitable for policing purposes and demolishing it means there will be no ongoing running costs for a building that is past its prime and which no-one wants.

“Clearing the site makes financial sense to ensure it is attractive to potential developers and will enable us to get as much return as possible for Greater Manchester residents from the eventual sale of the land. Developers would not want to buy a site with a building that no longer meets modern office requirements and which would be prohibitively expensive to refurbish.

“Reducing the Greater Manchester Police estates portfolio by disposing of sites that are no longer fit for purpose makes best use of resources.”

The Commissioner authorised the total funding of £2.383m for the project.