Police Scotland confirms closure plan for Greenock station

The force formally published details of 29 police stations and other buildings which it says are now 'surplus to requirements', including Greenock. It states that the financial savings of these property disposals will be 'reinvested' into providing policing services. We told exclusively on Monday that the Rue End Street station is set to be mothballed.

Despite being asked a series of detailed questions by the Telegraph, Police Scotland has remained tight-lipped on its plans for Greenock, stating only that a 'police presence' will remain. The Greenock station is described as having a front counter that's open 24 hours and which experiences a 'medium' level of usage, according to Police Scotland. It states that teams based in the office include response, community policing, divisional management, and CID.

Properties have been selected for potential disposal as part of the service's 'estate strategy', which is seeking to 'move toward co-location with partners where possible to ensure services are delivered in the most efficient and effective way'. A public consultation on the Scotland-wide proposals has now been launched. Local divisional commanders have also been asked to identify where they want to relocate their resources to 'better meet the demands of 21st century policing', and to highlight where there could be opportunities to 'co-locate with partners'.

We told in July how the station could be replaced with a new headquarters elsewhere within Inverclyde under transformative new plans which could see officers sharing an emergency services hub with firefighters. Police Scotland's Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said the Police Scotland estate has to be 'fit for 21st policing' and should enable the force to put 'service enhancement, visibility, and engagement at the heart of the communities we serve'. He added: "Our presence in communities is not defined by buildings but by the officers and staff who work there.

"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. "Police Scotland inherited a very large and ageing estate, much of which was not fit for purpose, with high maintenance costs and environmental inefficiencies. "The locations of many inherited buildings no longer meet the requirements of local communities.

"For the majority of properties, the proposed moves will be an average of four miles from their current location. "We are sensitive to community concerns around changes involving police buildings. and as we bring forward proposals we wish to communicate our proposals to the public and our staff and seek their feedback." The consultation closes on January 31, 2024.

To get involved visit https://consult.scotland.police.uk/strategy-insight-and-innovation/involving-you-in-the-future-of-our-estate/