Kirklees Police Headquarters, Dewsbury

A flagship headquarters for policing across Kirklees

Willmott Dixon completed the new Kirklees district headquarters for West Yorkshire Police on Halifax Road in Dewsbury, a flagship facility that replaces an ageing estate no longer fit for modern policing, and which is now open to the public for the first time.

Procured through the SCAPE framework, Willmott Dixon was involved from the earliest stages of the project, supporting early contractor involvement, feasibility assessment and extensive optioneering across multiple sites before the Dewsbury site and design were selected. Built on the site of the former Kirklees College, the six-storey, 10,464m² headquarters brings district policing, investigation and custody functions together in one modern, all-electric building.

What we delivered

The headquarters has been designed around operational policing, secure, resilient and welcoming to the public in equal measure:

• A Category A, 30-cell custody suite built to the latest Home Office guidelines – now fully operational.
• A public front-of-house and helpdesk, open to the community.
• Full refurbishment and modernisation of the 1880s Oldroyd building, retained at the heart of the new facility.
• A full-height atrium, gym, locker and welfare provision, and a secure new property store.
• Split-level multi-storey car parking with separate surface parking.
• Around 150m² of photovoltaic panels and an all-electric VRF system, with the new build achieving an air test rating of 3m/second.

Heritage restored at the centre of the building

The 19th century Oldroyd building was the one part of the former college site worth keeping – and it now sits at the heart of the headquarters, fully refurbished and given new purpose. Setting a Victorian structure inside a modern, secure blue light facility is a demanding piece of integration: it had to meet the same security, resilience and energy performance expectations as the new build alongside it, without losing the character that made it worth retaining.

A complex, constrained site

Before a single new frame went up, the site required extensive asbestos removal and demolition of the former college. Delivered under NEC3 Option A to BIM Level 2, with a hot-rolled steel primary frame and SFS secondary frame, the scheme draws on Willmott Dixon’s established blue light track record – the design applies lessons learned directly from previous custody suites and police facilities, and the scheme is targeting a BREEAM Good rating.

Social value: a lasting local legacy

The project has left a measurable legacy in Kirklees. Working with a valued local supply chain, the team delivered 942 apprenticeship weeks and a further 60 weeks of skills and training opportunities, alongside over 1,000 hours of volunteering support for local community projects – strengthening pathways into employment for the next generation of skilled workers.

What people are saying

“It has been a pleasure to work in partnership with West Yorkshire Police and our valued local supply chain partners to deliver such an important project which will ensure officers have the modern facilities they need to keep the people of Kirklees safe. We’re proud to have restored important site heritage at the centre of the building, as well as the lasting legacy this project has created across the local community.”

Chris Yates, Yorkshire Director, Willmott Dixon

“Residents in Kirklees deserve first class policing facilities in the heart of their communities. This new police headquarters represents a significant investment in the public service infrastructure of both Dewsbury and the wider district. It is well known that the existing police estate in Dewsbury was no longer fit for purpose, and this headquarters has been designed with modern policing needs in mind.”

Chief Constable Sir John Robins QPM DL, West Yorkshire Police

“I’m personally delighted with the final building which provides our officers with up-to-date facilities while preserving the existing 19th century Oldroyd building which was present on site. It’s been a wonderful nod to the heritage of Dewsbury and Kirklees in general that we have been able to retain this historic structure and give it new purpose at the heart of the facility.”

Chief Superintendent Jim Griffiths, Head of Kirklees District Police