THE demolition of the former Greater Manchester Police (GMP) headquarters in Old Trafford is set to begin within the coming weeks, following final approval from the Police and Crime Commissioner.
A GMP report on the decommissioning of Chester House went to the Police Commissioner’s forum, which was open to the public, on January 8.
The commissioner and former Stretford councillor, Tony Lloyd, said demolishing the building will be the best value for money.
He continued: “The building is no longer suitable for policing purposes and demolishing it means there will be no ongoing running costs for a building that is past its prime and which no-one wants.
“Clearing the site makes financial sense to ensure it is attractive to potential developers and will enable us to get as much return as possible for Greater Manchester residents from the eventual sale of the land.
“Developers would not want to buy a site with a building that no longer meets modern office requirements and which would be prohibitively expensive to refurbish.
“Reducing the Greater Manchester Police estates portfolio by disposing of sites that are no longer fit for purpose makes best use of resources.”
The commissioner authorised the total funding of £2.383m for the project. The full report is available at http://meetings.gmpcc.org.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=231&MId=1323&Ver=4
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