Wiltshire Police is moving response officers from Wood Lane police station to Wiltshire Council’s Monkton Park to benefit from what the force calls 'closer partnership working'.

The response hub, which responds to 999 police emergency calls, will start working from Monkton Park on Monday, February 25.

These officers will join Chippenham Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), which is already based at Monkton Park.

These moves are part of a phased programme to co-locate police services in Chippenham at the council premises.

The aim is for closer working between the two agencies to deliver improved services to the public, such as information sharing.

Superintendent Gavin Williams, Local Policing North, said: “Since the NPT moved to Monkton Park we have seen some real benefits with co-location with our partners, especially with ‘quick-time’ information sharing .

"We hope this will further develop with response officers also working from the site.”

Wiltshire Police, Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon Angus Macpherson and Wiltshire Council hope that the move will improve customer service, engagement with communities, information sharing and making more efficient use of resources.

Mr Macpherson said: “This sharing of buildings between the police and the council will continue with, where appropriate, neighbourhood teams being based at the forthcoming community campuses in Wiltshire. I would also like to see a similar initiative progressed in Swindon.

“Public agencies are facing significant government budget cuts and so we need to look at new ways of working to continue to provide effective services to the public.

"Sharing buildings and the associated costs with our partners is one way we can do this. Co-location also means closer partnership working leading to an improved service to the public.”

The police enquiry office will remain open as usual at Wood Lane police station so members of the public need to continue to visit Wood Lane to speak to a Wiltshire Police Enquiry Officer.

At some point this police front counter service will move from the Wood Lane police station to Monkton Park. Discussions are on-going about this and no final confirmed date has yet been agreed.

Stuart Wheeler, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for transformation, said: “We are pleased with the progress of this move which is part of a wider programme of work between Wiltshire Police, the council and other public agencies to share accommodation.

“This will result in improved access to services and a reduction in the amount of taxpayers’ money that is spent on the running costs of public sector buildings.”

These moves are also part of a phased programme to close Wood Lane police station, the cost of maintaining the building to a suitable standard having become disproportionate.