Surrey Police answers 5 questions about closing stations and moving from Guildford Mount Browne HQ

It was announced on Wednesday (March 20) that Surrey Police would be closing five sites, including its Guildford Mount Browne headquarters , to move into a new complex in Leatherhead.

Both Woking and Reigate police stations will be shut and replaced by a new 10-acre site in Cleeve Road, bought by the force for £20.5 million.

Sites at Burpham and Godstone , current homes of the Tactical Firearms Unit and Roads Policing Unit respectively, will also move to the new HQ.

Following the news, Surrey Live asked the county's police force five further questions about its plans to "deliver long-term savings" by disposing of "outdated and costly buildings".

Below is what Surrey Police had to say.

When will the Woking and Reigate stations close?

As part of the move to its new Mole Valley headquarters, Surrey Police will close its stations in Woking and Reigate.

Concerns may perhaps have been raised as to whether the closure of the two police stations could in turn mean a decreased police presence.

Police and Crime Commissioner David Munro said in a statement on Wednesday (March 20) that despite the closures, Neighbourhood Policing Teams would continue to operate from all eleven of Surrey's boroughs.

It has now also been confirmed that both Woking and Reigate stations will not be sold or closed until the Leatherhead site is operational.

A spokesperson said: "Woking police station accommodates specialist crime teams that operate on a force-wide basis. These teams will move to the new site.

"The Neighbourhood Policing Team that serves Woking borough is already based at the council offices and will not be affected.

"Reigate police station will also not be sold until the new site is operational."

Why will the move to Leatherhead take four to five years?

Although Surrey Police has announced the purchase of the Cleeve Road site, it will be some time before the force moves into Leatherhead.

Mount Browne in Guildford, which has housed the force for almost 70 years, will remain as headquarters for the next four to five years while their new home is created.

On face value, the timescale for the move may appear a little exsesive.

The site that has been bought covers a 10 acre area of land and multiple buildings. It was formerly the home of Electrical Research Association (ERA) and Cobham Industries.

Surrey Police has told Surrey Live that the force remains in the early stages of its move, and that a contractor has not yet been appointed to build the new facility.

For these reasons, it is estimated that it will be four to five years before the new building is ready to move into.

What will happen to Mount Browne once Surrey Police leaves?

As previously mentioned, Mount Browne in Guildford has been the headquarters of Surrey Police for almost 70 years.

In a statement on Wednesday (March 20), PCC Munro described some of the force's current buildings, including Mount Browne, as "outdated, poor quality, in the wrong place and expensive to manage and maintain".

The 14.5 acre site will be sold by Surrey Police - the money raised will be put towards the costs of its new headquarters.

The land has previously been earmarked for housing in a draft of Guildford Borough Council 's local plan.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen as to what will become of the site, and who will buy it.

A Surrey Police spokesperson added: "The Mount Browne site will be sold in due course, and the money from this put towards the cost of the new site, however it will remain the HQ until the new Leatherhead site is fully operational.

"It is estimated that will be in four to five years' time and is too early to say at this stage exactly how much will be raised from its sale."

To read more about the history of Mount Browne and its relationship with our police force, click here .

Will Leatherhead be subject to increased traffic and disruption?

The new Surrey Police headquarters will be based in Cleeve Road, off of the A245 in north Leatherhead.

Naturally, with the majority of the county's police force moving in, an increase in traffic may be on the mind of nearby residents and workers.

Surrey Police has said that a main reason for choosing the Cleeve Road site is to centralise the force in the county.

The new site also has the perks of being near Leatherhead train station.

Paul Kennedy, Mole Valley District Councillor for Fetcham West, has asked about what impact the move may have on the town.

He said: "This move is great news for Leatherhead and a shot in the arm for the Transform Leatherhead project.

"I haven't seen the detailed figures of course but one has to ask whether the closure of more police stations in Woking and Reigate as well as other centres across the county is a price worth paying for yet more centralisation.

"We do not want north Leatherhead turned into a police car park for the whole of Surrey."

In response, Surrey Police has outlined what measures it will take to minimise disruption to the community.

"Any future use for the site is likely to have resulted in some increase in traffic," said a spokesperson.

"We will aim to minimise any disruption to local residents and will ensure that sirens and blue lights are not operated until away from residential areas."

Will the new Leatherhead headquarters have a custody suite?

In the announcement of their new headquarters, Surrey Police said that the Leatherhead site will provide an "efficient" way for the force to work.

Temporary Chief Constable Gavin Stephens added: "A state of the art operational base and HQ will enable us to better meet the challenges of modern policing, allow us to be innovative and ultimately provide an even better policing service for the Surrey public."

Surrey Live asked if a custody suite would form part of the new site.

In summary, the answer from Surrey Police to this was no, the Leatherhead headquarters will not have a custody suite.

A spokesperson added: "None of the sites we are closing have a custody suite in use. We have custody suites elsewhere which will continue to operate as normal."