"Dust, noise and vibration inevitable" as police HQ begins
Devon and Cornwall's police and crime commissioner's office has thanked neighbours in Middlemoor for their patience as building work on the region's new police headquarters gets underway in the summer heat.
Preparatory digging is said to be going well, thanks to the favourable weather. But it's a dusty site, resulting in a bowser being called in to damp down soil. A roller is in action only intermittently because of the vibrations it causes. This stage is called "cut and fill" to level the site ahead of foundations being dug. It's expected to take about a month.
Contractors have built a new access road to the site of vehicles cause less disruption to traffic around Middlemoor.
The new HQ, which will have 40 cells and accommodate up to 450 officers whose work ranges from armed response to major crime investigations. It's being funded by the sale of police land, including Heavitree Road police station. The contractor, Willmot Dixon, is using local companies and staff on the project "wherever possible."
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