We are pleased to have successfully handed over yet another project to a satisfied client – this time, the Abergavenny Police Station.

 

CMB provided the Mechanical works on this project having started onsite in September of last year, and less than 8 months later, the project is complete and fully operational with its user.

 

Abergavenny Police Station is proudly one of the greenest buildings within Gwent Police’s estate and is a new base for neighbourhood policing and response teams serving the local area. This area of Llanfoist has seen a lot of development in recent years, and the police station gives Gwent Police a renewed presence in the area following the closure of its previous station in 2019.

 

The station provides excellent new facilities for those whose role is to protect and keep our community safe. It includes changing facilities for officers, locker rooms, showers, changing rooms, a gym, storerooms, an interview room, office and meeting spaces along with ancillary rooms for first aid and contemplation needs. There is also a secure vehicle parking area for police vehicles, visitor parking and additional space for larger police fleet vehicles.

 

The scheme includes a number of biodiversity enhancements such as bird and bat boxes, bug hotels and newt crossings. It is BREEAM Excellent, with a roof full of PVs which include battery storage to maximise the solar energy produced. It will result in the building providing 41.6% of self-sufficient energy, avoiding 8,747kg of CO2 emissions. CMB also utilised low carbon options for the domestic hot water by using an air sourced heat pump to provide the bulk of the domestic hot water whilst the main source of heating to the building is provided using air conditioning, with the building being ventilated using heat recovery units.

 

The building uses zero gas and is fully powered by electricity which is further supported by the rooftop PV’s. This allows the building to be run from the solar energy that is created first before drawing off power from the grid. The solar gain is also stored within four batteries that hold the solar energy ready for when it is needed. Any additional energy that has not been used can be exported to the grid.

 

CMB were employed to carry out the installation of the mechanical systems on this project. The building is heated and cooled via a VRF system that keeps the building at a comfortable temperature year-round, along with heat recovery units throughout the building that provide fresh air when required.

 

The domestic hot water system is supplied using an Air Sourced Heat Pump which eliminates the need for natural gas in the building. All of this is controlled using a BMS system that can then be monitored from a central location. With these principals, the addition of the building in the area of Llanfoist should have a minimal impact on the local environment.

 

CMB Contracts Manager, Tom Price, who oversaw CMB’s works on the project, commented:

 

“This is a highly sophisticated building for its size. It’s great to see the design based around the environment and in such a way that is considerate to local wildlife and nature. The systems are set up to manage the heating and cooling in the building in a capacity that saves energy and hopefully provides a comfortable environment for its users.

 

The CMB team involved in this project enjoyed the construction process because our attitude (and that of other trades involved) were all of the same mind set: to get the job done collaboratively and provide the customer with a high quality final product. This was a refreshing mindset in an industry that has tight deadlines. We look forward to more potential projects with Willmott Dixon and Gwent Police in the future.”

 

 

Pam Kelly, Chief Constable for Gwent Police, commented on the build saying:

 

“It’s a great facility for our communities, and of course, in order for us to respond to those emergencies across this area of the county. I’m really looking forward to seeing the sustainability agenda really be brought to live here in our police estate.”

 

 

Chris Lloyd-Evans, Senior Build Manager at Willmott Dixon, added:

 

“It has been a pleasure working with Gwent Police to provide them with a new station to serve Abergavenny and the wider area. The building provides the force with a balance of conventional operation space along with modern office facilities to allow them to comfortably perform their duties. We are proud to be part of Gwent Police returning to the area, providing them with high quality and sustainable space.”