Dismay as Bramshill training centre to be sold

Police officers have reacted with disappointment to the news that the iconic police training centre at Bramshill will be sold off by the Home Office.

The Grade I-listed Jacobean Hampshire mansion has been the headquarters of the Police Staff College for over half a century, but the high running costs and need for more modern facilities have led the Government to decide to relocate to new premises.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: A Home Office spokesman said: “Bramshill has been a fine facility for policing, but retaining the site would have cost £5 million a year which could be better spent on enhancing police professionalism and training through the College of Policing.

“The College will set and implement first class national standards for training, development, skills and qualifications. It will give officers and staff the tools they need to do their job.”

The Home Office hopes to raise £x million in the sale, but several officers have complained the move is cashing in on one of the police service’s biggest assets.

Sir Peter Fahy, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police and lead on workforce for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said Bramshill “embodies the best traditions” of the police service and played an important part in creating a leadership culture.

“Bramshill has been an extremely valuable asset to British policing for generations,” he said.

“It is disappointing to see it being sold before the College of Policing has had a chance to establish its own training needs and clarify what will be the future training provision.

“The sale of the facility will also create fear among forces that the cost for training, previously paid for centrally, will now have to come from local budgets.”

He added: “The facilities and dedicated staff at Bramshill have provided excellent training since the 1950s to many of the country’s brightest and best police officers. We recognise the financial reality of Bramshill, but it is very unfortunate that the substantial investments made in the facilities over several years will now be sold instead of being used to the benefit of policing.

“Bramshill is also held in very high regard internationally for its work training thousands of police leaders from across the world. Its reputation will now be lost and the enormous influence it had overseas in benefitting the service will no longer exist.”

Derek Barnett, President of the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales (PSAEW), echoed Mr Fahy in expressing disappointment with the decision, adding that any proceeds from a potential sale should go towards funding a new world-class training centre.

“Bramshill is a long established, iconic and internationally renowned centre of policing excellence. It attracts police leaders from across the world and generates significant overseas income. It is also influential in parts of the world where the UK is key to developing the British model of policing based on the principles of Sir Robert Peel,” he said.

“Whilst I understand the challenging financial situation, I am disappointed to learn of the decision just at the time the new College of Policing has been established. I hope that the Home Secretary will allow the Board of the newly created College of Policing to explore alternative funding solutions before such a valuable and iconic asset is lost to the police service.”

Several police officers took to social media sites to express their views over the decision. Richard Crompton, the former chief constable of Lincolnshire Police, tweeted: “Bramshill RIP. There goes the family silver,” adding British police officers were losing an “iconic building” and “world class library and facilities” that make up a substantial part of the service’s international reputation.

The College of Policing, which will continue to hold the lease on most of the Bramshill site until March 31, 2014, said the sale would not affect any upcoming training programmes.