VIDEO: End 'almost in sight' at Blackpool's new £25m police station

Workers on the former Progress House site in Clifton Road, Marton, are busy putting in windows and roofs – and were visited by Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw this morning.

Richard Wright, operations manager at Wilmott Dixon, the firm brought in to build the state-of-the-art facility, said: “We are getting close to being water tight inside the building now.“We have got another month before we are in that position, and in that time we are cracking on inside.

“We have got a big run up to Christmas. By the time we get there, a lot of areas will look close to being finished. I can’t quite see the end in sight yet, but we are getting towards that point.”

Mr Grunshaw spoke of the importance of his new Social Value Policy, brought in to see big projects like the new police station help the local economy and people, as he met local apprentices, contractors and employees.

Most of the £25m project is being done with small and medium sized businesses, and much of the cash is being invested locally.

Simon Gut, managing director at Ameon, which is doing the site’s utilities work, said the work had led to more contracts – and more jobs and apprenticeships.

And Mr Grunshaw said: “Blackpool is not the most affluent of areas, and so by investing back in the community, and giving young people jobs, and giving local businesses work ... [it] has got to be massively beneficial to them for the future.”

Technical apprentice Ben Howarth, 20, who has been working on the site for six weeks, said: “It’s lucky because I’m from Blackpool so to have something two minutes away as big as this is a great opportunity.”