Work has begun on a new vehicle workshop at Yeovil Police Station as part of a multi-million-pound refurbishment intended to create a modern policing hub for Yeovil and South Somerset.
The project at the Horsey Lane property is expected to be completed in late 2027. Avon and Somerset Police said the workshop will provide upgraded facilities for servicing and repairs, allowing its fleet to be maintained locally and reducing the time police vehicles are unavailable.
What the refurbishment will provide
The wider scheme includes new mechanical and electrical systems, modernised internal spaces, training areas and improved welfare facilities for officers and staff. It will also include a modernised public enquiry office and the purpose-built workshop now under construction.
When the work is complete, the station is intended to provide a base for local Patrol and Neighbourhood policing teams, as well as specialist functions including Roads Policing, Firearms and police dogs. Those specialist resources are currently based in Bridgwater.
Avon and Somerset Police said an additional base in Yeovil would bring those teams closer to local communities and improve the force’s ability to respond to incidents across the area.
“People in Yeovil and south Somerset deserve policing facilities that are fit for the future, and it’s encouraging to see this investment continuing to take shape.”
Neighbourhood Inspector Rose Green said the refurbished station would provide a modern base for local policing teams and specialist resources, helping them work more effectively together in support of communities.
She added that the vehicle workshop would allow police vehicles to be maintained locally and reduce the time they are unavailable because of servicing and repairs.
Why there will be no custody suite
The force has issued answers to frequently asked questions about the project, including why the refurbished station will not include custody facilities.
Avon and Somerset Police operates custody as a force-wide service, with provision concentrated in three dedicated centres at Bridgwater, Keynsham and Patchway. The force said those centres are designed to meet modern safety standards for detainees, officers and staff.
The decision not to include a custody suite in Yeovil was made in 2022 by the then police and crime commissioner after operational and financial analysis.
That analysis estimated that adding a custody suite would cost about £8.8 million in additional construction capital. Annual staffing and operating costs were estimated at approximately £3.3 million. The force said those annual costs would be broadly equivalent to the cost of around 77 police community support officers or 48 police constables.
Although the analysis considered the time officers spend transporting detainees to existing custody facilities, the force concluded that building and running a Yeovil custody suite would be too expensive compared with the effect of that travel on officer availability.
Specialist equipment at the station, including a fingerprint scanner and breath-testing machines, is expected to reduce the need for some journeys to custody facilities. A prisoner transport service also operates from Thursday through to Sunday evenings to help protect officers’ time during periods of peak demand.
Where Yeovil residents can contact police during the work
While the refurbishment continues, police teams are operating from Somerset Council’s offices at Brympton Way. The Yeovil public enquiry office is also located there and will remain at that site during the construction work.
Neighbourhood officers continue to work in the community. Residents can visit the enquiry office, call 101 or contact Avon and Somerset Police online. The force says people should call 999 in an emergency.
The project is also intended to improve the building’s environmental performance. The existing building frame and construction materials are being reused, avoiding the demolition and rebuilding of a new station on the site.
Avon and Somerset Police secured £140,000 in grant funding for low-carbon technologies to help heat and power the refurbished building. The scheme will also include significant investment to enable electric vehicle charging in the future.