Plans for new police station for Abergavenny in Llanfoist

The new building in Llanfoist – proposed on land between Llanfoist highways depot and Llanfoist Farm, east of the B4246 and south of the A465 – is planned to be a long-term home for Gwent Police’s Abergavenny neighbourhood policing and response team.

Abergavenny has been without a police station since 2019, when the former town centre facility was closed and redeveloped as retirement apartments.

Under the plans, the new two-storey station will extend to 410m2 with welfare facilities such as a gym on the ground floor, and office and meeting rooms on the first floor.

The building will be used by police officers as a day-to-day hub, but access for members of the public will be by invitation only.

An artist's impression of the planned new police station

There will be a room for the public to attend voluntary informal interviews, but no custody suites.

A planning statement says emergency ‘blue light’ vehicles will operate from the station, but an exclusion zone around the site means the use of sirens will be minimised to reduce the impact on residents living in the area.

A total of 30 parking spaces are proposed, including 24 of standard size, four larger spaces for police vans and two accessible spaces.

Cycle storage will also provide spaces for 20 bikes.

A planning statement says the building has been designed to appear as a warehouse or office facility, and not as a ‘welcoming’ civic building.

An artist's impression of the planned new police station

“The building’s somewhat ‘aggressive appearance’ will ensure it acts as a deterrent to anybody passing the site via the Heads of the Valleys road,” it says.

Design Commission for Wales, which has provided feedback on the plans, said the architecture of the building is “very aggressive”, and asked if this was intentional.

The applicant, the office of Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner Jeff Cuthbert, said “a strong visual presence will give a positive message to the community that a strong police presence is located in this area”.

“The building has been designed and positioned to act as a deterrent to persons utilising the Head of the Valleys road for criminal activities,” the applicant said.

While the building has been designed to “stand tall and loud”, the surrounding environment will have “a softer feel”, it is said.

This will include 18 new trees across the site, grassed areas and wildflower planting, while a 2.1-metre high secure fence is proposed around the station.

A walk-in centre for the public to meet members of the police service currently operates from the town hall, and this will continue alongside the new facility under the plans.

Gwent’s Police and Crime Commissioner has previously said the new station could be up and running by the end of next year, subject to planning permission.