Clay Cross SNT

North East Derbyshire needed a new base for neighbourhood policing in Clay Cross, replacing outdated accommodation with a facility that could do two things at once: meet police operational standards for security and durability, while still feeling like part of the town centre rather than a fortress. A police station that looks like a bunker doesn’t help community policing; one that doesn’t meet operational standards doesn’t work at all. 

We designed a single-storey steel frame building with a masonry envelope, a combination that gives the durability and security the brief demanded, while still looking like a normal piece of civic architecture within the area. 

Working with North East Derbyshire District Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner’s team and the contractor from an early stage, with iterative detailing that kept the design buildable and cost-effective and kept approvals moving without delay. 

Clay Cross now has a modern, visible base for its Safer Neighbourhoods Team built to the standards policing demands, in a building that adds to the town centre rather than detracting from it.