Mancpedia

Chester House

Chester House was an office block on Boyer Street in the Old Trafford area of Stretford, Trafford. It served as Greater Manchester Police's headquarters from 1979 until 2012, and it was later demolished in 2012-2013.

History

Greater Manchester Police purchased Chester House in 1976, as they sought to consolidate their main administrative and command functions in one place. They later moved into Chester House in January 1979, after numerous years of preparation. The official opening ceremony took place later in the year on 30th May 1979, when it was opened by Princess Anne.[1]

Greater Manchester Police vacated Chester House in 2012 to relocate their headquarters to Central Park in Newton Heath, Manchester.[2]

As of 9th May 2013, Chester House was in the final stages of demolition.[3]

In 2026, demolition of the overall site began, including the remaining car park and building. This is in order to begin the construction of a new neighbourhood consisting of 1,200 homes, a new hotel, and commercial units.[4]

Sources

  1. History of GMP 1974 - 2013, Greater Manchester Police Museum and Archives, accessed 6th April 2026. ↩
  2. Wrecking ball prepped for former Trafford GMP HQ, Place North West, 26th June 2025, accessed 5th April 2026. ↩
  3. Farewell to Chester House, Flickr (Greater Manchester Police), 20th May 2013, accessed 5th April 2026. ↩
  4. Milestone reached for proposed new 1,200-home neighbourhood, Trafford Council website, 30th March 2026, accessed 6th April 2026. ↩