Dorset Police news site

The Princess Royal visited Dorset Police Headquarters to formally open the new efficient and sustainable flagship building.

Her Royal Highness toured the new three-storey building and memorial garden on Monday 6 October 2025, met local dignitaries and the teams responsible for delivering the building on time. She also spoke with award winning officers, staff and volunteers and individuals from a range of teams and departments, who work tirelessly to ensure Dorset remains a safe county for everyone.

Chief Constable Amanda Pearson said: “It was an honour to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to Dorset Police Headquarters for the official opening of our new flagship building. This was an important historical moment for the Force, and I was delighted to be able to introduce her to the fantastic team who made it happen, alongside our hardworking officers, staff and volunteers.

“It’s of upmost importance that our officers, staff and volunteers have a working environment that supports them with their contribution to keeping people safe. Our former HQ building had served us well for 60 years but had well and truly outlived its original temporary purpose.

“We are proud of our new headquarters, which will provide value for money and long-term savings enabling us to invest in frontline policing to tackle the things that matter most to our communities.

“Sustainability was at the forefront of its design – we now generate an amount of our own electricity by the use of solar panels and our water usage is much reduced.”

The headquarters has been awarded a ‘good’ BREEAM rating – an internationally renowned rating used to specify and measure the sustainability performance of buildings, ensuring that projects meet sustainability goals and continue to perform optimally over time.

It is part of the wider estates programme that aims to future proof the Force’s estate and deliver fit-for-purpose facilities for officers, staff, volunteers and our communities.

David Sidwick, Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner added: "It is a great privilege to see the official opening of the new Dorset Police Headquarters by The Princess Royal.

“Our communities have repeatedly expressed that they want to feel more connected to their police and see increased visibility. Improvements to our estate, the ongoing recruitment of extra officers, successful roll-out of Community Contact Points and two Mobile Police Stations are enabling us to better meet those expectations.

“The building of the new headquarters is just part of the wider estates programme, which aims to future proof our estate and deliver fit-for-purpose facilities for officers, staff, volunteers and our communities. The funding for the modernisation, including the building of our new headquarters, comes from entirely independent funding sources. It does not include precept funding, has no impact on the number of police officers and staff or our ongoing commitment to maintaining officer numbers recruited as part of the national Uplift programme or the ongoing Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which aims to increase resources in our neighbourhood policing teams.

“This state-of-the-art facility will provide staff and officers with the tools and resources they need to serve and protect our communities effectively. It is a vital step forward in enhancing public safety and supporting the hard work of our dedicated police force and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the officers, staff, partners and stakeholders who have worked tirelessly to make this vision a reality. Their commitment and collaboration have been instrumental in creating a space that will support our policing efforts for years to come."

Richard Poulter, Managing Director for Willmott Dixon's Construction South region, said: "Having The Princess Royal officially open the Dorset Police Headquarters is an incredible honour and we were delighted to be invited to join Dorset Police for the occasion. This isn't just a building – it's a sustainable foundation for community safety that will serve Dorset for decades. We are proud to have played a part in delivering another brilliant, environmentally responsible building."