Wednesfield Police Station saved amid rethink over closure plans
Wednesfield Police Station has been saved from closure.
The station was due to shut next summer but it will now remain open after a rethink by police chiefs, residents have been told.
Wednesfield councillor Phil Bateman said the decision raised hopes that it could even remain open permanently.
The station in Alfred Squire Road is now expected to stay open for at least the next few years, it was revealed at a public meeting.
WATCH highlights from the meeting
Pc Darren Barfield, a neighbourhood officer in Wednesfield, said at the meeting, held at St Thomas’s Centre in Wednesfield: “We were told that, unfortunately, Wednesfield Police Station was going to close to the public and neighbourhood teams would be moved and the police station would properly close next June.
“There has been a rethink and, as far as I’m aware, it is going to be there for another three or four years.”
The long-term future of the station remains unclear, however, the experienced officer said retaining police bases in local areas remained crucial, even if they are closed to the public.
He said: “Even though it is not open to the public, your police are still based in Wednesfield. I would like it to continue a lot longer but ultimately it’s about money.”
The public meeting was called by MP Emma Reynolds after concerns over crime.
Mr Bateman said: “We are still pressing for the police station to revert to what it used to be with a front desk. Having heard the news the closure is likely to take longer than originally planned, clearly that buys us more time. It gives us the opportunity to continue to make our case. If you put extra time between the team and the crime happening in the ward it’s a travesty as far as I’m concerned.”
It was revealed in September police emergency teams could be based at just two locations in the Black Country leading to fears some towns and villages will see slower response times. Wolverhampton and Brierley Hill would be the only two bases with around 200 officers relocated from stations in Bloxwich and West Bromwich.
