Merseyside Police in property shake-up

MERSEYSIDE Police has announced a £130m plan to rationalise its property estate.

The force said it will invest in a new £44m command centre in Speke but close many of its 78 buildings with the aim of shaving £2.5m a year off the current £12m bill for running costs.

New or refurbished area headquarters will be opened in each of Merseyside’s five boroughs and the force said community police stations will be developed where old police stations are currently closed to the public.

Commissioner, Jane Kennedy said: “These are hard times, but I am committed to providing accessible and visible policing for every community. I want to invest in modern police stations and save money too. Austerity has forced us to review every aspect of the police estate. Merseyside Police has been harder hit than most. By 2018, we predict government cutbacks will have forced Merseyside Police to lose 29% of its people – officers, PCSOs and staff.  Already 60% of our buildings are empty or under used and this is only going to increase.

“We simply cannot lose so many people without also looking at the buildings and facilities that they use. The current police estate is unsustainable. It is ageing and becoming increasingly expensive to run. While these drastic and devastating cutbacks have presented us with significant challenges, we also believe this is a really exciting opportunity to transform the estate – making Merseyside Police even more accessible for the people of our region.

“Merseyside Police’s buildings desperately need to be upgraded. Our stations and facilities are no longer fit to serve the public or fit for the officers, PCSOs and staff that work in them. By transforming our estate, creating more efficient and effective buildings, we will be protecting frontline policing and putting officers where the public want to see them – in the communities they serve.”