Police to build 50 cells in Quedgeley for suspected criminals

“Councillor Andrew Lewis's only concern being a Quedgeley resident is when these people are let out, where are they going to go? We could end up with 50 people coming through Quedgeley. Anywhere so long as its not Quedegley, where he lives eh. Realistically, these cells are unlikely to be full to brim on a daily basis. But if they are, I am sure they will sober up the drunks before they release them, and hang onto the axe murderers. I would also imagine, they are not going to be released en masse. But rather when the police have finished questioning them, which would be at various time of the day or night, and then I would think they would go home. Perhaps then a nice policeman could ferry them safely home !!”

“You only have to look back to around July 2010 to see that this PFI scheme was supposedly cancelled because it was too expensive and that it was better to concentrate on people rather than buildings. It appears they've managed to find the money from somewhere to build what can only be described as something that is a bit more than a shed if the description that I found in the minutes of Quedgeley Parish Council dated 21st June 2010 are anything to go by.

QUOTE:Project manager Mr Bradley introduced Mr Coe representing Miller construction and G4S Security Company the consortium who would design, build and finance the custody cells for 30 years. The planning application was submitted last week Monday and it is hoped it will be fully operational by 1st August 2012.(Missed that date then!!)

Regarding this new application, Parish Council minutes dated 16th April 2012 give more details of this new revised application. It is now to be Non PFI funded and the amount of cells has risen to 50 rather than 40. The original 2010 application stated that this "custody suite"
will consist of "operational accommodation including a lost property store, amenity space, gym, cafe and 40 (now 50) custody cells which will include a photography room, 4 exercise yards, breathalyser and DNA rooms in addition to 270 car parking spaces".

Now, I thought this "custody suite" was just to house people on a temporary basis until they could be transferred to court and then prison but I now wonder why they need A CAFE, A GYM, FOUR EXERCISE YARDS AND 270 PARKING SPACES! This sounds more like a prison to me. Surely the "prisoners" aren't going to be there longer than a couple of days, therefore not needing very much exercise? Is the cafe and the gym for the use of the prisoners or the police and why all those parking spaces? I'm afraid there seems to be much more to this than meets the eye. If the plans that were discussed at the 2010 Council meeting are the same as the ones that have just been approved then we have not been given all the relevant information, perhaps as a way of making sure there are no objections.”

“Why if they got this Gloucestershire Constabulary's headquarters at Waterwells why do they still need to at Bearland as well. Why be two locations, seems a waste of money to me.”

“Would be nice to know how much its all going to cost”

“How much will this cost us? Can we make something out of old converted ISO containers? A scalable solution if ever there was one...”

“Tut, tut. Aren't we all being rather cynical in deducing that 'offenders' will be sharing our morning bus ride. Surely if they're 'on the bus' they are totally innocent, and were only passing the scene of the crime with a suitably large holdall, as the ACTUALL miscreants smashed their way out of the property, and legged it in 'an easterly direction, officer'.
OH SORRY I FORGOT, OUR RIDICULOUSLY PATHETIC JUDICIAL SYSTEM, MEANS THAT YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY BE CAUGHT IN THE ACT, WITH VIDEO BACK UP, AND CAN PROVE THAT THE 'OFFENDER' WASN'T OFF THEIR FACE, OR TOTALLY P!SSED OUT OF THEIR BRAINS (NOT THEIR FAULT, M'LORD) OR SUFFERING FROM ADHD, ASPERGERS (NOT THEIR FAULT, M'LORD) ETC ETC.
So sorry if the existing custody suite was comedic!!”

“Excellent, so I get to share my already unpleasant morning bus journey to work with offenders that have been released in the morning. Must say can't wait for that one:/”

“Buses at 3am???? What planet are these people on exactly???”

“Just create one big holding cell. Keep them in there with a bucket in the corner.”

“"Laughed at by visitors"............... who cares what the "visitors" or in other words the offenders think anyway. The holding area should be no more than a cattle pen anyway!”