Work starts on Staffordshire Police’s new armed training facility

The new training centre will provide specialist officers with a purpose-built soundproofed facility that meets national standards and their current and future needs, offering state-of-the-art facilities, including a ten-lane 50m indoor firing range, training rooms and office space. The scheme also includes a skills house to train tactics relating to building entry and searching.

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Talbot said: “Staffordshire firearms officers regularly respond to high-risk incidents and planned policing operations to provide a response to incidents involving weapons and firearms that have the capability of causing significant harm, prioritising the safety of the public across Staffordshire.

“These new facilities are a necessity, that enables our specially trained and accredited firearms officers to meet the national rigorous training requirements in threat assessment, de-escalation and conflict resolution, in line with the College of Policing’s National Police Firearms Training Curriculum (NPFTC).

“This new level of investment will ensure our firearms officer training provision continues to protect and prevent harm to our communities, continuing to provide reassurance to the public, proactively assist colleagues across the force and deliver tailored support to partners.”

Being built at a revised cost of £20.6 million, the new indoor facility will replace the existing leased outdoor range, allowing officers to deploy more quickly in Staffordshire when needed.

It will provide the force with a facility that is under Staffordshire Police’s control and fully compliant with all Health and Safety legislation and guidance.

A detailed review was initiated by Staffordshire’s police, fire and crime commissioner  Ben Adams in 2021 in to understand the force’s future requirements for deploying armed officers and evaluate a range of alternative options to meet them.

The review included options for sharing a facility with neighbouring forces, which proved not to be feasible.

Mr Adams said: “Police firearms deployments in Staffordshire are relatively low, but when our communities need an armed response to keep them safe, it is essential the force has the right training and facilities in place to deliver the highest quality service.

“Police forces have a legal responsibility to meet not only national College of Policing standards but also local strategic threat and risk assessments. These have evolved considerably in recent years, requiring solutions that improve services, protect the public from harm and deliver value for money for the long term.

“Using public money efficiently is a priority for me, and this investment is part of a wider estates plan for Staffordshire Police to ensure buildings are sustainable and future proof.”

Work on the new facility is expected to be completed by November 2026.