CONSTRUCTION is underway on a new Somerset police station.

Work on a new Shepton Mallet police station site was due to begin at the end of last week.

The new base will see Avon and Somerset Police officers based at the Haskins Retail Centre in the town centre and will house an enquiry office open to the public, as well as a base for the local neighbourhood policing team and the patrol team for the Mendips.

It is anticipated that the police station will open to the public in spring next year.

The opening will lead to some changes across the Mendip area, the force confirmed previously:

Wells – The local neighbourhood policing team will remain in Wells and will be co-locating with Devon and Somerset Fire on their site at Burcott Road. The planning applications for the required extension to the existing Fire Station building will be submitted shortly. The enquiry office and response team will be moving to the Haskin’s Retail Centre site in Shepton Mallet.

Frome – The response team at Frome will also be moving to the new site in Shepton Mallet. We are committed to keeping our local neighbourhood officers and PCSOs in the town and retaining an enquiry office open to the public. Therefore, the Neighbourhood team will remain in Frome at their current location and the Enquiry office will remain in town centre at Frome library.

Street – Refurbishment work commenced on site at the beginning of June 2019 and it is anticipate that the new police station will be fully refurbished and open for use in October 2019. The new Police Station will continue to have an Enquiry Office and house the local Neighbourhood Team.

Chief Inspector Sharon Baker said: “This is an exciting time for the Mendip area and we are delighted to be moving into the next phase of our plans for a new purpose built station in Shepton Mallet.

"The new police station will provide a hub for our police officers and PCSOs in the Mendips and we are looking forward to having a central and visible base.

"These plans don’t affect the number of officers or PCSOs in the surrounding communities, who will continue to work as they currently do.

"In fact they are becoming more visible by increasingly patrolling on foot and by bike and completing paperwork in the community using laptops.

"Although the response team are moving to a new location it will not affect how quickly we can respond to 999 calls which will be answered and prioritised in the same way."

READ MORE: Plan for new police station in Shepton Mallet - but Wells will lose its enquiry office

Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Sue Mountstevens, said: “Local people from across the Mendip area continually tell me how important their neighbourhood policing team is to them.

"It is important that local officers are based in the community which is why we’ve made the decision to ensure Wells, Frome, Street and Shepton Mallet neighbourhood teams remain at the heart of their communities.

"I look forward to the opening of the new Shepton Mallet police station next year, I hope residents will feel reassured that the police are not leaving the area and will find the new base accessible and convenient."