Exmouth will get a new state of the art police station fit for the future which is fantastic news for the town I am very proud to represent.

The current police station looks rather forlorn. I certainly won’t miss it. Neither will nearby residents nor our local police officers who deserve a far better base.

Given the government’s ongoing success towards achieving its commitment to recruiting 20,000 new police officers, coupled with the clear wish from residents to have a proper police station in Exmouth, I was able to work closely with the Police and Crime Commissioner to look again at how we deliver policing locally. It was clear that a new police station had to be part of those plans alongside more police patrols across East Devon.

We will have a record number of police officers across Devon and Cornwall. Numbers are due to hit 3,610 in the year from April. This is 110 more than the area’s previous high of 3,500 in 2009/2010.

The existing site will be redeveloped with part of the land sold to help fund the construction of the new police station on the current site. The new building will include an area for face-to-face contact between the police and the public. Policing has changed significantly since the original building was constructed and the new design plans will reflect this.

Given its glorious location, Exmouth sees a large increase in population throughout the summer months due to visitors and tourism because so many people want to enjoy our superb beach, restaurants, leisure facilities and pubs. This can be challenging for local officers and police staff, so it’s vital they have a modern base from which to serve the needs of our community throughout the year.

People should feel safe in the place they live. A new police station for Exmouth, more officers in Devon and Cornwall than ever before, and a brand-new CCTV system now up and running in Exmouth, thanks to the Town Council, will help achieve this. Exmouth is seeing significant investment to help keep us safe. Rightly so.