Plans for a new $20 million combined Police station and Magistrates' Court building have come off the drawing board and taken their first step towards reality, The Royal Gazette has learned.

After months of discussion, architects at the Department of Works and Engineering have handed over the first draft plans for a six-floor complex to be built in the heart of Hamilton.

Planning experts are set to release the plans this Friday, before putting them out for consultation next month.

It is proposed to build the new massive facility on 17,000-square-feet of land at the corner of Court Street and Victoria Street -- just minutes away from their current Parliament Street location.

The new facility will be purpose-built with additional security to cater to the needs of the judicial system and will enable people to pass between the two departments without having to go outside.

That means the present problem of transporting prisoners from Police cells across public streets to appear in court will be completely eradicated.

The plans for the 15,500-square-feet building includes four criminal courts and one family court, 16 Police cells, a purpose-built identification parade room, two video interview rooms and prisoner circulation areas.

It will be fully equipped with shower facilities, holding cells, elevators and proper waiting areas.

The proposals, as they stand, mean that Police will be based on the ground and fourth levels, while the courts are situated on the second and third.

But although the state-of-the art development is set to be advertised in the Island's newspapers this Friday for public feedback and objections, Government said it could be some time before the proposals actually become a reality.

Even if no opposition is raised during the two-week objection period, the plans must go through a two-month consultation process to allow any interested parties to voice their opinions, such as Police and the Corporation of Hamilton.

If that goes well, an application in principle could go before committee for a decision in the autumn.

If major objections are raised, the architects may have to go back to the beginning again.

Police/Court building planned for north Hamilton Either way, it could be years before a full planning application is granted permission and the complex completed.

Last night, Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott was off the Island and unavailable for comment, as was Shadow Home Affairs Minister Michael Dunkley, who raised concerns about the delay in putting the plans together a fortnight ago.

When talking to The Royal Gazette about the current problem of transporting prisoners across the street to Magistrates' Court, Mr. Dunkley said: "I think we should be told what is happening with the plans for the combined complex.

"Government mentioned it some time ago, but nothing has been heard since.

When is it likely to come to fruition and why is there a delay?'' But a Government spokesman said yesterday how, although the first draft of plans had been drawn up, the proposals were still in the very early stages and many adjustments may have to be made before they were finally given full approval.

He said: "We are still very much in the design concept stage and we are some distance away from being able to cost it out.

"There will be a presentation to Minister Alex Scott about the plans next week.

"We are too early in the process to make any kind of predictions about any aspect of it. As you appreciate, it is a major project.

"There could be so many ifs and buts along the way, we don't know how long it will take.

"People will be consulted and anybody concerned with it or interested will be given an opportunity to speak or object.'' He said nothing had yet been decided on what would happen to the present Police station in Parliament Street, which is said to be riddled with cockroaches and termites and said to have been condemned by experts.

But the Government spokesman said Magistrates' Court, which was a former Post Office, was a listed building and so was automatically protected.

Government announced its plans to invest so heavily in new court and Police facilities in February last year.

It also planned to spend $1.35 million on a drugs court to help deal with addicts who need to kick their habit.

Finance Minister Eugene Cox last year set aside $2 million for the preliminary work to be carried out.

The plans for the new development are available for the public to look at in the Planning Department at the Government Administration Building in Parliament Street.