‘Huge concern’ over cost-cutting plans to close police station
PLANS to close Solihull police station have led to a “massive amount of public concern”, the borough council’s leader has said.
Councillor Bob Sleigh told West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson that residents wanted to know how effective policing would be following the proposed disposal of the Homer Road site.
Councillors questioned Mr Jamieson about the plans during a cabinet meeting, with a report to members stating that last month’s announcement had come amid concerns about a “significant degradation” in policing in the borough over the past 12 months.
Mr Jamieson, who outlined the significant financial pressures the force was facing, reiterated that the present building would remain open until an would deploy resources in this alternative public office had borough are very important to been set up nearby. us.
He said that co-location with “Sometimes the travelling the council itself was one of the times between North Solihull options on the table and discusand Central Solihull can be sions with the authority’s officimmense and our geography is ers had been taking place for quite large, so we are very conseveral years. cerned how effective police
Councillor Sleigh argued that operations can be maintained.” what was being proposed was Mr Jamieson, who has argued “not like moving a post office that selling 24 premises across into Sainsbury’s”. the region would safeguard
He said: “This is an essential around 100 roles, told members policing operation which peothat officers, not buildings, ple place their confidence in. solved crimes.
“And the questions that have “The current building is about been raised as to how you 20 per cent used, we have to maintain it, we have to light it. It is a burden to us,” he said.
“If we were not moving out you would be quite right to be critical of us in using a premises which was not being used fully.
“What ideally we would like to do is to co-locate with the council. There would be a benefit to the council in that there would be an income for the council.
“It would be a benefit for the police in that we would have a central location, we would be able to cut the costs vastly.”
Mr Jamieson also clashed with cabinet members over the timeframe of the proposals.
They argued he had allowed only a few weeks for public consultation, while Mr Jamieson maintained that Homer Road would not close until 2020 at the earliest – allowing time for comprehensive discussions.
Sutton Coldfield MP Andrew Mitchell last week accused Mr Jamieson of targeting police cuts in Tory areas.