‘No longer fit for purpose’
GREAT Harwood police station will close next month - just weeks after a temporary closure was blamed on ‘staff sickness and annual leave’.
Lancashire Police has confirmed that the Hesketh Street base will permanently close on Monday, July 10, as part of cost-cutting measures.
Bosses have decided against renewing the building’s five-year lease - which runs out this November - claiming it is ‘under-utilised and no longer fit for purpose’.
Police say the closure will not affect police officer numbers in the area. Residents wanting to use the front counter service will now have to travel to Accrington or Blackburn.
Jon Bullas, chief inspector for Hyndburn, said: “I would like to reassure members of the public that the number of officers policing Great Harwood will remain unchanged.
“Whilst the local policing team currently based at Great Harwood will now start and finish their tours of duty at Accrington, they will continue to operate in Great Harwood throughout their shift.
“In addition, we are currently finalising arrangements with partners in Great Harwood that will allow officers to drop in and utilise facilities rather than return to Accrington – this includes Lancashire Fire and Rescue.
“In addition, these officers are all supplied with state-of-the-art devices which allow them to access all the required constabulary systems without having to return to a police station.
“This not only increases how efficiently they operate but also means that they will be more visible within the community.
“Finally, I would also like to stress that there will be no alterations to the current roles of our Response Officers who provide 24-hour coverage within the community of Great Harwood in dealing with emergency calls.”
Great Harwood councillor Gareth Molineux said the closure is ‘extremely disappointing’.
He said: “All services are having to make reductions to try and streamline their service delivery and this is something the police are having to do to manage their budget.
“I have been reassured that we will still have a neighbourhood police presence in Great Harwood, although it might not be 24 hours.
“I would rather lose a building than police officers.
“It’s disappointing we won’t have a counter where people can go. It’s very frustrating.”