ABOUT 500 jobs will be moving to Chandler's Ford from Winchester when Hampshire Police quit their HQ for a new £9.2m site at Alpha Park.

The relocation, announced on Tuesday, comes after repeated attempts by the police authority to obtain planning permission for a revamp of the constabulary's outdated building in Romsey Road.

The police authority says it could take between £7m and £15m to prepare and equip the new building, which is in Electron Way, off School Lane, close to the headquarters of the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Against that, it suggests that it would have cost at least £11m to bring the existing headquarters, most of which dates to the 1960s, up to modern standards.

Chief Constable Paul Kernaghan said: "The current HQ building requires extensive investment and it has proved impossible to secure planning permission to stay."

The move to Chandler's Ford has been welcomed by Keith House, the leader of Eastleigh Borough Council.

"Eastleigh is excited to welcome the Hampshire Police to the borough. The council looks forward to a long association with the authority," he said.

Unison, the union representing many of the 500 police HQ staff, sees good and bad points to the move.

While employees would be facing the disruption of moving offices, the union said the current site had many shortcomings.

Kathy Symonds, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police branch secretary, said: "As with any major change, I suspect there will be some unrest. It's difficult to comment on exactly how the staff will feel about it at this early stage, but people are usually rattled by big changes.

"On the plus side, Winchester is a pain in the neck to get into every day, the accommodation is past its best and the parking there is abysmal, so we're hoping there will be some improvements."

The Police Authority will also consider relocating other departments such as a vehicle workshop and the central archive facility, which would free up other properties that could be sold or let to cover the cost of the project.

Jacqui Rayment, chairman of the Hampshire Police Authority, described the move as the biggest change in the recent history of the constabulary.

"We are delighted to have been able to secure this site at Chandler's Ford, having spent so long looking for the right solution for the future of the constabulary," she said.

"This has not been an easy process, but we believe that, by taking this decision, we have enabled the constabulary to build a headquarters that is fit for the challenges of 21st-century policing and to create a better place of work for the 500 staff who will be based there.

"This site provides an opportunity for more departments across the force area to come together in one place. This will allow for more efficient and flexible use of our resources.

"We hope to see the first of the departments currently based at Winchester moving to Chandler's Ford within the next two years."