Police Scotland announces 29 stations at risk of closure

Police Scotland has announced that 29 stations and other service buildings are at risk of closure.

The force said the properties are "surplus to requirements" as it looks to reinvest any potential savings back into policing services.

However, union Unison has criticised the plan, stating "it might deliver balanced books, but it won't deliver better policing".

Fettes station in Edinburgh and Glasgow's Stewart Street are among the buildings that could be sold off.

Police Scotland said three buildings are already vacant and 14 others have no public access.

Affected officers and staff are expected to be moved to other locations.

Sixteen further properties - which are already vacant or are plots of land with no buildings - are also under review and will be consulted on.

The force said plans to close an additional 14 properties will be brought forward at a later date.

Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said Police Scotland inherited a large and ageing estate, much of which was "not fit for purpose" with high maintenance costs and environmental inefficiencies.

He said: "The locations of many inherited buildings no longer meet the requirements of local communities and in some cases the organisation is currently maintaining multiple buildings in the same geographic area, less than five miles apart.

"Some of the buildings are just a few miles apart, others are used by only a handful of police officers or staff and have no public access, while many are rarely visited by a member of the public.

"For the majority of properties, the proposed moves will be an average of four miles from their current location."

Proposed closures:
• Greater Glasgow and west: Castlemilk, Saracen, Bishopbriggs, Milngavie, Stewart Street, Gorbals, Baillieston, Pacific Quay, Paisley, Ferguslie Park, Greenock, Dumbarton, Alexandria and Ayr
• Edinburgh and Fife: Balerno, Fettes, Leith, West End, Portobello and Oakley
• Tayside: Dundee Annexe, Ryehill and Hilltown
• Highlands and northeast: Muir of Ord, Mastrick, Rosemount, Seaton, Whinhill and Torry

Officers and staff in Greater Glasgow, Tayside, parts of the northeast and the Highlands would be redeployed elsewhere in the region under the closure plans.

Decisions are still to be made in regards to officers and staff at a number of other stations across Scotland, including five in Edinburgh and three in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.

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DCC Graham said the force's estate must be "fit for 21st century policing" and be "safe, functional spaces".

He added: "Our presence in communities is not defined by buildings but by the officers and staff who work there, and we have already introduced technology that enables our officers to remain in local areas, reducing the need for them to return to police stations to deal with paperwork."

DCC Graham accepted that there will be community concerns around the proposed changes and urged the public and staff to view the plans and submit feedback.

David Malcolm, Unison Police Scotland branch secretary, said "No one seriously thinks that this is about improving services - it is a cost-cutting measure. It might deliver balanced books, but it won't deliver better policing.

"These measures themselves will shape the demand from the public and put pressure on already stretched resources in the police contact centre and control rooms as more communities see their police offices taken away.

"We agree with Police Scotland that the police estate is in a mess - but the way to sort that is to make the case for long-term investment, not short-term asset stripping."