Work due on ex Cowes police station as Isle of Wight firm grows

Around eight years after it closed as a base for Hampshire Constabulary, work is due to get underway to create additional facilities for marine design and manufacturing firm, Spinlock.

The business has been based on Birmingham Road in Cowes for around 4 decades and announced its plans for the neighbouring building in 2020, which it had bought the year before.

At the time, it said some small changes would be made to the red brick building's outside appearance, some small outbuildings would be demolished and a roof extension would create a conference room with Solent views, with a plan to make it a design and sales hub.

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Spinlock's HQ, opposite the former police station.

There were also proposals to make office space available to other businesses.

Meanwhile, Spinlock has announced a 40 per cent expansion to its production, revealing most of its flotation products are exported and saying its markets are growing.

CEO Chris Hill said: "Spinlock has a strong record for investing across all areas of the business.

"This action will help us meet this significant growth in demand from these new markets such as watersports, fishing and commercial marine as well as with new countries.

"We have been searching for additional space for some time and are fortunate to secure this area adjacent to our existing production site.

"Over the course of the last 12 months, with a steady increase in our production staff and coupled with investment in new machinery and tools has allowed us to maintain good lead times, improve efficiency and where possible counter rising production costs."

Cowes's former police station, which will be Spinlock offices.