PLANS for a new Gwent Police headquarters look set to be finalised before the end of the year, according to a new report.

This will be followed by the sale of the current site, as well as the neighbouring County Hall, between 2012 and 2014 before the force moves into its new home in March 2014.

A report for the Gwent Police Authority agenda said work with Torfaen and Monmouthshire councils is “in readiness of a planning application at the end of 2011.”

Relocating to a new, shared, purpose-built headquarters is part of the force’s ongoing efforts to save £24.1 million over the next four years. Although no venue has been chosen to date, site survey work with Torfaen and Monmouthshire councils is ongoing.

As reported previously in the Argus, the current police headquarters in Croesyceiliog would cost the force £26.3 million over the next 20 years to right all the wrongs within the building.

A new building can be built for around £20.2 million, helping save the police more than £6 million.

There are around 500 members of staff based at Croesyceiliog.

Monmouthshire and Torfaen councils, which occupy the neighbouring County Hall building, have to move out of the concrete building by March 2012.

Monmouthshire council have planning permission for a 37,674 sq ft, £8 million complex at The Rhadyr site of Coleg Gwent’s Usk campus and Torfaen council is sharing office space at the current police headquarters and Pontypool police station while long-term plans are drawn up.

Once the police have made the necessary arrangements to move to a new headquarters, the plan is to sell the Croesyceiliog site with planning permission in place, which would make the location more appealing to developers.

The move will be discussed at a meeting of the Gwent Police Authority tomorrow.