Quick viewing(Text Mode)

History of South Wales Police Headquarters

History of South Wales Police Headquarters

7 History of South Police Headquarters

In the 13th Century, Conservators (also known as Wardens) were introduced to assist Sheriffs with their duties as Head Constable of the Shire. Due to an increasing population and subsequently, an increase in crime, Conservators were needed to alleviate the workload. The Conservators later became known as Justices of the Peace, and were men of good position and authority in their county. The powers of the Justices grew quickly and for several centuries they were in charge of public affairs in the counties. They authorised the appointment of parish constables and petty constables, and the police arrangements for Town Hall, Wyndham Street, Bridgend, pictured the district were their responsibility. in 1910. The building was demolished during the 1960s In 1829 Sir Robert Peel, the Secretary of State for the Officers remained there until the new Bridgend Town Home Department, sponsored the Hall was built. Act. This Act created the Metropolitan Police Force. Quarter Sessions made a substantial contribution to the Ten years later, the Act of 1839 was building’s construction, and the Superintendent of the passed, which granted the establishment of County Ogmore Division occupied the portion of the building Police Forces by the authority of Justices of the Peace. allocated to police. During this period, Parliament created a standard The First process for appointing constables in order to co-ordinate Constabulary Headquarters the duties of parish constables and special constables. The County Constabulary of Glamorgan was This meant that gradually, more officers were appointed. established in 1841 and Captain Charles Frederick Napier of the Rifle Brigade was The Transfer of Power to appointed Chief Constable of the County. Captain Napier’s successor was Lieutenant His Headquarters was an office in the Town Hall in Colonel Henry Gore Lindsay, who was appointed Bridgend. In October 1841, the constabulary consisted in 1867 and served until 1891. of the Chief Constable, 11 sergeants and 23 constables. At that time, the coal industry was commercialising and Early in Captain Napier’s term of office, the railway lines from Cardiff to the different valleys were accommodation at the Town Hall was deemed built. These transport links provided a more convenient inadequate for the police and other officials. way of travelling to the developing areas than what Bridgend could offer. Consequently, the Board of Guardians of the Bridgend Union kindly permitted the right wing of their During Colonel Lindsay’s period of office, the Chief workhouse to be used by the rural police of Glamorgan Constable’s Headquarters transferred from Bridgend to during their stay at Bridgend. in Cardiff, but when money from the Quarter Sessions paid for a police station in Canton, Cardiff in From old prints of the workhouse, it appears that a 1871, the Chief Constable’s office moved there. substantial area was made available for the police.

2 Consequently, Canton Police Station was adapted to make it a more suitable Headquarters for a larger force. The Search for a New Headquarters Towards the end of the World War I, the city and boroughs in Glamorgan were expected to extend their boundaries. This materialised to some extent in 1918 when , and became part of city. In 1922, Cardiff absorbed Ely, , and . and Giant’s Grave became part of borough. These extensions to the county area raised questions Canton Police Station in Cardiff. This building was also demolished in the 1960s about whether it was time for Police Headquarters to move outside of Cardiff. A similar station was built in Roath in 1872. Under the There would have been plenty of offers to home a Cardiff Improvements Act in 1875, the hamlet of Canton prestigious new Police Headquarters from and a portion of the parish of Roath were incorporated representatives of different districts in the county if it in the Cardiff Borough. Roath Police Station was taken did transfer from Cardiff. over by the Cardiff Police Authority, but Canton remained as the County Police Headquarters. When the County Hall in Park, Cardiff, was revealed as an inadequate base, negotiations began for An Expanding Force an extensive new wing that would house police staff. The Local Government Act of 1888 brought However, great disappointment followed when it great changes in the status of the County became clear that there was not enough Police Authorities. accommodation at County Hall for police purposes, and it was no longer considered a viable option. Powers formerly vested in Quarter Sessions were transferred to a Joint Committee, designated as the In response, more structural adaptations were Standing Joint Committee. Justices of Quarter undertaken at Canton station and Headquarters Sessions and members of the County Council were Instructional Staff, new entrants and trainees were both present at the committee. transferred to Barry Dock. Colonel Lindsay was succeeded in 1891 by his son, The Chief Constable and Police Authority weren’t happy Captain Lionel Lindsay, who served as Chief with Headquarters administrative staff being dispersed. Constable until the beginning of 1937. They recognised the distinct advantages of a central The coal exporting trade of this period was prosperous Headquarters with residential accommodation for for Glamorgan county. The rapid growth of the new entrants and facilities for new trainees to population was accompanied by extensive development undergo courses. of public services, including a substantial increase in the Although every effort was made, a building that could number of police officers and police buildings. provide sleeping accommodation, instructional On Captain Lindsay’s appointment, 343 officers classrooms, recreational facilities and accommodation served in Glamorgan Constabulary. for instructors could not be found. Glamorgan Police Headquarters was anticipated to move to New County Hall, but there was undivided Bridgend is Chosen opinion on whether the County Administrative The Standing Joint Committee felt that something Centre should be at Cardiff or elsewhere in the had to be done, and in 1938, Bridgend was county. At that time, the County Council met unanimously agreed as the most suitable location alternatively at and Neath. for a county Police Headquarters. Eventually the County Hall was built in The committee were encouraged by the improved and opened in Spetember 1912. However, before the transport links in Bridgend, and desired to be near the opening, it became apparent that the police could not new RAF station in given the progress being be accommodated there. made in aviation.

3 The site was used as a Royal Ordinance factory during the Second World War, the area highlighted in red shows the current Headquarters site.

A site of nearly 30 acres was chosen; situated west of the road leading from Bridgend to and south of the by-pass from Ewenny Cross in the direction of Swansea. Planning began for the construction of the new Headquarters, to ensure there was adequate Police Headquarters, Bridgend, 1947 accommodation for administrative staff, residential training, recreation and welfare amenities, and building was used continuously by the police, civil residential accommodation for married members defence, and military, or all three services combined. of Headquarters staff. In September 1943, the Secretary of State appointed a World War II Committee to consider training arrangements for the services after the war. Plans for the new Headquarters were put on hold Later, Police Authorities were asked for their views of at the start of World War II in September 1939. the Committee’s proposals for recruitment and training. Many additional duties and responsibilities fell on the police during the war, which also impeded developments. Subsequently, the following was agreed: Fortunately, before the outbreak of the war, a mansion n All recruits should go through a residential training known as Dyffryn House, together with its gardens, had course for three months before undertaking any been gifted to the County Council to advance education police duties; in horticulture, botany and allied studies. n The training schools maintained before the war by Through the good-will of the County Council and the individual forces should, when re-established, donor, this mansion was made available for the Police provide refresher courses for serving police officers Authority to use as a reserve Police Headquarters and and men rejoining the police after service in the training facility for police, wardens and other ancillary armed forces ARP Services during the war. n A training centre for recruits should be established in The mansion proved to be a very useful facility. Wartime each of the Chief Constables’ districts to provide duty training for police officers started immediately and initial training for all recruits in that district; progressed with the full support of the Home Office. n Recruiting Boards should be set up in each of the The training was inspected by His Majesty’s Inspector of Chief Constables' districts; Constabulary, who thought that the facilities should be With the war soon to end and armed forces due to offered to other forces by the Police Authority. return home, the District Recruiting Board needed to As a result, police forces throughout Wales and find a training centre to accommodate approximately Monmouthshire began training in the mansion, and the 150 pupils. They viewed a number of premises, but with

4 The new Public Service Centre, an addition to Police Headquarters in 2012 the co-operation of the Home Office, they secured the Although severely utilitarian in design, the buildings had a use of the Bevin Hostel for Miners at Bryncethin. This certain charm. provided the accommodation needed for the immediate The authority cleared stated their interest in occupying post-war training of new entrants into the police service. the premises if they became available. The Glamorgan Education Committee allowed the The opportunity did arise, and without any delay, police to continue using Dyffryn House for refresher negotiations were opened. courses for officers re-joining the service from the armed forces. However, this was not to be a permanent Formerly the largest munitions factory in Europe, the arrangement, particularly as the Education Act of 1944 Royal Ordnance Factory at Bridgend became the new had extended the responsibilities of education Glamorgan Constabulary Police Headquarters in 1947. authorities. Any prospect of continuing the build of Police These new Headquarters placed the central Headquarters in Bridgend was now out of the question. administration of the Glamorgan Constabulary in the After the war, there was a greater need for new houses. town where it was originally established just over a century ago. The Royal Ordnance Factory Decades later, the Headquarters remains at this site. The Glamorgan Police Authority poised itself to seize any opportunity for a Headquarters and There have been many changes and additions during this training centre, even if it was only a temporary time, as the force has continued to expand. measure until a new Headquarters could be built. Most recently, the state-of-the-art Joint Scientific This led the Police Authority to question the future of Investigation Unit and the Public Service Centre, the the Royal Ordnance Factory at Bridgend. force’s call handling department, were built on site. The group of buildings had been completed in 1940, and were constructed of steel framing encased in reinforced concrete, with outer walls of brickwork.

5 South Wales Police South Wales Police Headquarters Road, Bridgend CF31 3SU Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01656 869291 Visit our website at www.south-wales.police.uk

Designed and Printed by South Wales Police Print Department.

Top View