EVER WANTED TO SPEND A NIGHT IN THESE CELLS?

Former cop shop could become apartments

A NIGHT in a North Staffordshire police station’s cells may be a thing of the past - but a more permanent accommodation opportunity could be on the cards.

Staffordshire Police moved out of their Radford Street station in Stone several years ago and the building was put up for sale.

The police downsized to a post at Stone Town Council’s Station Road offices – and now their former base could be converted into apartments – if plans are passed by Stafford Borough Council.

A planning statement submitted as part of the change of use application said: “The former Stone Police Station has been vacant since July 2017.

“The proposed development would provide a residential development in a sustainable location that would utilise vacant buildings.

“It would also ensure that a historic building in a conservation area is put to a viable use consistent with its conservation.”

The proposal would provide seven apartments

– of which two would be one-bedroom and five would be two-bedroom – in the main building that fronts Radford Street and would also convert and extend an outbuilding in the yard to the rear to provide a single three-bedroom dwelling.

It would also involve the demolition of an outbuilding in the south-west corner of the site in order to facilitate car parking to serve the development.

Access would be off

Northesk Street by way of modifications to an existing access point, which would lead directly into the rear courtyard, where 14 car parking spaces would be provided.

The Radford Street station car park has previously been run by Stone Town Council as a free parking facility for town workers and visitors.

The station was one of eight put up for sale by the police in 2019.

At the time,

Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner

Matthew Ellis, below, said: “While police buildings are still needed, most people want to see more officers out and about in communities and policing now has the right tools to help that happen.

“There’s no question budgets are tight and the growing complexity of policing needs evermore investment to keep up. “The properties I am selling were built in a different era and are surplus to the requirements of policing today.”