Planning starts on new Whangarei police station

Planning is under way for Whangarei's new police station despite uncertainty over where it will be built.

Police and the Whangarei District Council are awaiting a High Court declaratory judgment after the council withdrew an offer to sell a block of central city land to police.

The judgment's ruling will include whether the council was justified in pulling out of the offer. A council spokeswoman said the judgment was expected "any day now".

In the interim, tenants in the block of land -- bordered by Vine St, Walton St and Rose St -- have been given notice.

Police were continuing to plan for the project, acting Northland police district commander Inspector Mike Rusbatch said.

"We have recently procured project management services and are now calling for tenders for designs and quantity surveying services," Mr Rusbatch said.

"NZ Police ... wishes to be in a position with the project team on board ready to start designing the new station as soon as the issues regarding the purchase of the new site are resolved."

Tenders close on Friday.

The offer to sell the Vine St block had been agreed by a council which then changed dramatically after October's local body elections.

The newly-elected council opted out of the deal in November, and signalled the land could be used for a central city carpark.

But police remained interested in the Vine St site, having outgrown their cramped 1960s Cameron St station and having been seeking a new site for about two years.

A new Whangarei station would need to be in the central business district, accommodate about 185 operational staff, have parking spaces for about 65 cars, and have outbuildings and kennels for the dog section.

After the council withdrew from the sale in November, council chief executive office Mark Simpson said the police and council had a special relationship and he hoped a way to a "win- win" solution could be found.

The council recognised that police needed a new police station, and that the council needed more parking spaces.

The possibility of police moving into Vine St had been welcomed by nearby night club owners who hoped having police as neighbours would curb disorderly behaviour in the area.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)