Calls for future of Sutton Coldfield Police Station to be reviewed
Calls have been made for the future Sutton Coldfield’s threatened Police Station to be reviewed as a matter of urgency.
Royal Sutton Coldfield MP Andrew Mitchell has written to the newly elected West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, to ask him to look at the proposals again.
The police station, which has been the base for the Royal Town’s police since it opened in 1960, was earmarked for closure by the former Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson.
The new PCC, Mr Foster, has pledged Sutton will keep a police station in the town centre, complete with a publicly accessible front desk.
Whether that remains in its current base is dependent on a plan to relocate civil servants to make greater use of the building.
Mr Mitchell MP said: “I have written to Simon to ask him to review the plans which would see our local Police Station closed.
"I want to see more police out on the streets and to ensure that resources are allocated to the Royal Town and not just central Birmingham.
"There is no justification for reducing our services locally or threatening to close our local station."
"I hope that the incoming Police and Crime Commissioner will commit to saving our station and putting more resources into it to support local officers.”
Mr Foster said, over the last 18 months, he had been speaking to local communities about the type of policing they would like to receive.
He said: "The police estate is an issue I’m going to be looking really closely at.
“I have pledged that Sutton Coldfield will keep a police station in the town centre, complete with a publicly accessible front desk. I reaffirm that pledge today.
“The current police station is over 80 per cent empty and not an efficient use of taxpayers money. This has been created in part by the huge cuts that the force has faced over the last decade.
“The former PCC wrote to the government asking them to consider the existing estate as part of the ‘levelling up’ agenda of moving civil servants out of London.
"That could keep the current police station open as well as bringing well paid jobs to the local area. I would urge the Town Council and Metro Mayor to join me in making this ask of government to consider the current Sutton Coldfield police station to relocate civil servants.
"This could be a huge boost to the local economy and struggling high street too.
"I’m also aware that councillor Rob Pocock is pressing Sutton Coldfield Town Council to pursue the option of their inclusion in this shared asset approach, and that’s another welcome prospect.
“In the meantime I will continue to look closely at the force’s estates programme over the coming weeks.”
Mr Pocock added: "It’s great to hear this reassuring news, especially in the light of past rumours. I look forward to working with Mr Foster on options for the Town Council to get involved as well, in a shared use facility. I know there is strong public support for this joint approach.”
