Medway Police Station
| Medway Police Station | |
|---|---|
Medway Police Station from Pier Road | |
| Alternative names | Gillingham Police Station |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Location | Gillingham, Kent, England |
| Address | Purser Way, Gillingham ME7 1NE |
| Town or city | Gillingham |
| Country | England, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°23′48″N 0°32′52″E / 51.39671936222455°N 0.5478288158843924°E |
| Current tenants | Kent Police; Crown Prosecution Service (Medway & North Kent) |
| Year(s) built | 2004 – 2006 |
| Opened | 13 March 2007 |
| Cost | £21 million |
| Client | Kent Police |
| Owner | HICL Infrastructure Company |
| Height | |
| Architectural | Contemporary modernist |
| Design and construction | |
| Developer | HICL Infrastructure Company |
| Main contractor | Norwest Holst |
| Other information | |
| Parking | On‑site secure parking for staff and visitors |
| Public transit access |
|
| Website | |
| https://www.kent.police.uk/area/your-area/kent/medway/ | |
Medway Police Station is the main Kent Police facility for the Medway towns, located on Purser Way in Gillingham, Kent.[1] It serves all Medway divisions and replaced several older local stations, such as Chatham Police Station.[2]
Medway Police Station was procured under a 30‑year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) concession.[3] Infrastructure investor HICL reports that the project reached financial close in July 2004 and had a capital expenditure of £23 million, with construction by Norwest Holst (Vinci) completed in November 2006.[4] The new station was formally opened in March 2007, replacing the former stations:[5]
- Gillingham Police Station (Pear Tree House, West Street, Gillingham)[6]
- Chatham Police Station (The Brook, Chatham)[7]
- Rochester Police Station (Cazeneuve Street, Rochester)[8]
- Rainham Police Station (Birling Avenue, Rainham)[9]
Facilities
The station includes extensive custody and support facilities. Its custody suite is reported to have 40 cells – the largest in Kent – along with dedicated interview and medical rooms. (All 12 prosecutors and 4 associates of Kent’s Medway and North Kent Crown Prosecution Service moved into offices at the station in late 2008 to work closely with Kent Police.)[10] The building also provides modern amenities such as holding cells and administrative offices, and has space for victim support; for example a special suite for vulnerable victims (with photo-ID and interview facilities) was part of the station’s design.[11]
Location and Access
Medway Police Station sits at the western end of Purser Way, off Pier Road in Gillingham.[12] Nearby bus stops include “Purser Way”[13] (about a 1–2 minute walk) and “Gillingham Gate” (about 4 minutes’ walk).[14] These are served by local bus routes such as the 1, 101, 116, 176, 177 and 683 (among others).[15] Gillingham railway station – on the Southeastern and Thameslink lines – is about a 10-minute walk away, providing frequent services to London and the Kent coast. (The Southeastern and Thameslink networks serve this area, with trains stopping at Gillingham station.)
Recent Developments
In November 2023, Medway’s police-led Community Safety Unit (funded by the Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit) installed an anonymous knife-surrender bin outside the station. The week-long “Save a Life” campaign allowed residents to discard knives and bladed weapons anonymously, aiming to reduce violence.[16] Earlier, in December 2008 the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for Medway and North Kent moved its prosecution team into the Purser Way station, so that prosecutors and police could collaborate more closely on case preparation and charging decisions.[10]
- ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). democracy.gravesham.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-06-01. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "BBC NEWS | UK | England | Kent | New police station to open soon". news.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2025-06-28. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "34 PFI on North Kent Police Station". www.kent-pcc.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2025-04-27. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "Medway Police Station, UK - HICL". HICL. Archived from the original on 2025-06-28. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
The project reached financial close in July 2004. Construction was carried out by Norwest Holst (part of the Vinci group), with capital expenditure of £23 million, and was completed in November 2006.
- ^ "BBC NEWS | UK | England | Kent | Flagship police HQ formally open". news.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2025-06-28. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ Council, Kent County (2008-01-25). "Exploring Kent's Past". webapps.kent.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2025-06-28. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). www.medway.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-06-28. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "Wayback Machine". democracy.medway.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2025-06-28. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "Wayback Machine". democracy.medway.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2025-06-28. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ a b "Prosecutors move in to Medway Police HQ". Kent Online. 2008-12-03. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "Flagship police HQ formally open". 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ Caldwell, David. "Explore Purser Way in Gillingham in ME7 1NE". Street List. Archived from the original on 2025-06-28. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "Purser Way Bus Stop (Travelling West) in Gillingham". www.geopunk.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2025-06-28. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "How to Get to Medway Police Station in Gillingham by Bus or Train?". Archived from the original on 2025-06-28. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "How to Get to Medway Police Station in Gillingham by Bus or Train?". Archived from the original on 2025-06-28. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "'Save a life – bin a knife'". Kent Online. 2023-11-09. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
External links
Media related to Medway Police Station at Wikimedia Commons