I read the article in the Beacon (New £32m police headquarters ‘well underway’ ahead of 2021 opening, Beacon 1st January) about the plan to spend £32 million on building a new HQ for Gwent Police with astonishment, and some disbelief, that such an expenditure was being proposed at a time when the Home Office is looking for force amalgamations.

Following amalgamations of the fire services in Scotland in 1996, attention naturally turned to the police and Scotland now has a well respected, single police force.

In 1996, as part of local government changes in Wales, the opportunity was taken to undertake further amalgamations of the fire services - they had been combined into eight from 15 as part of Local Government amalgamations in 1974. The resulting amalgamations saw the creation of just three fire authorities in Wales: north, mid and west and south Wales. Gwent Police is an anomaly and the obvious step would be to amalgamate with South Wales Police, taking advantage of the proven benefits of scale, which would see savings in, for example, infrastructure, logistics, communications and response - and reductions at senior level- which can be ploughed into improving the ‘front line’.

If Gwent Police HQ is not considered fit for the 21st century, then the PCC needs to think outside the box, and be bold!

David Williams MBE QFSM (Former CFO, South Wales Fire & Rescue Service)