Police in Wednesfield will remain in the area after station closes, councillor says

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal said the team at Wednesfield Police Station, on Alfred Squire Road, will be "co-located" when the site closes in 2025.

The closure is part of a cost-cutting measure for West Midlands Police rubber-stamped by Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster.

Councillor Jaspal, who sits on the West Midlands Police and Crime Panel, revealed the news as she was questioned by Councillor Andy Randle.

She told the Wolverhampton Council meeting: "We do take crime and disorder very seriously and work very closely with partners across the city to address issues which are important to local communities.

"I understand the importance of ensuring that local policing teams are located within their communities, a principle which is also essential to the PCC's estate strategy first formulated in 2018.

"The strategy includes the proposals to close the Wednesfield Police building. However the Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) has confirmed the local policing team will be 'co-located' in the local area at a site which ensures that policing will continue to be delivered in the community.

"The projected date for this to happen is in autumn 2025. We will use the time prior to this to support the OPCC to ensure plans are in place for effective co-location in Wednesfield. But listen, there is funding issues – very urgent funding issues – and I would urge the party across the council chamber (the Conservative Group) to talk to their Government to really address the funding formula.

"West Midlands Police has been underfunded compared to other police forces across the nation, so please do that – that will be very helpful, so we can get more resource into Wolverhampton, into the West Midlands and get more neighbourhood policing."

Councillor Randle, who represents Wednesfield South, said the update was "deflection from the other side trying to blame the Government", adding: "Wednesfield deserves better, quite frankly.

"My residents want a base in the village and a visible police presence. I wrote to Mr Foster on behalf of Wednesfield residents and he took six months to get a response, it's absolutely shameful and it's not good enough."

Although the police station does not have a public desk, it’s been used by officers and civilian staff to maintain a regular presence in the village, with both Conservative MP Jane Stevenson and Councillor Phil Bateman calling for a rethink over its future.

Announcing wide-ranging cuts, at the time, the PCC said the force faced a £24m repair bill for its police stations and other property, prompting the need for closures.