Future of over 40 Police Scotland buildings in jeopardy

More than 40 Police Scotland buildings could be disposed of, the force has said.

Under the proposals, 29 police stations and buildings could be scrapped - most of which still house officers for various purposes - with savings reinvested into the force.

A consultation has been launched in relation to the future of a further 15 vacant buildings and one plot of land near the force's station in the Partick area of Glasgow.

Eight of the stations threatened with closure are in Glasgow, including its city centre base at Stewart Street - which remains open 24 hours a day and houses the divisional management team and detectives.

READ MORE: Stark warning from the Scottish Police Federation over officer number cuts.

Edinburgh could lose five stations and Aberdeen could see the same number closed after the force co-located with the local council.

The announcement comes amid an ongoing call from the force for a substantial funding increase in next year's Scottish Budget - due to be announced next week.

Chief Constable Jo Farrell told a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority last week that the force requires another £128 million.

Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said the force's estate "needs to be fit for 21st century policing".

He added: "Our presence in communities is not defined by buildings but by the officers and staff who work there, and we have already introduced technology that enables our officers to remain in local areas, reducing the need for them to return to police stations to deal with paperwork.

"We are determined to continue to improve our visibility and accessibility, as well as to bring partners together to deliver services in the most efficient and effective way.

"Police Scotland inherited a very large and ageing estate, much of which was not fit for purpose, with high maintenance costs and environmental inefficiencies.

"The locations of many inherited buildings no longer meet the requirements of local communities, and in some cases the organisation is currently maintaining multiple buildings in the same geographic area, less than five miles apart."

But Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay pointed the finger firmly at the Government, which he said has already "presided over the closure of 140 police buildings in the first decade of Police Scotland".

He added: "The people of Scotland will know that this hammer-blow to policing is a direct result of decisions made by Humza Yousaf's Government."

Scottish Labour justice spokeswoman Pauline McNeill said: "This is yet another hammer-blow to Police Scotland's resources due to chronic under-funding by the SNP Government.

"With offices closing and jobs on the line, the need for action to protect police services could not be greater.

"Police visibility in our communities is vital in tackling crime as well as preventing crime and making people feel safe - we can't allow cuts to undermine confidence in services.

"Action needs to be taken now to prevent further cuts to jobs and services and to help Scotland's police keep Scots safe."

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesman Liam McArthur also described the proposed closures as a "hammer-blow" for community policing in Scotland.

READ MORE: Police Scotland warn of cutbacks if £129M of extra funding isn't approved.

He added: "While the police will always have operational decisions to take about which parts of their estate are fit for purpose and have a role to play in the future, it would be utterly naive to pretend that budget decisions made by SNP ministers have not played a significant part in leading the service down this road."

David Malcolm, the Police Scotland branch secretary for trade union Unison, said: "No-one seriously thinks that this is about improving services - it is a cost-cutting measure. It might deliver balanced books, but it won't deliver better policing.

"These measures themselves will shape the demand from the public and put pressure on already stretched resources in the police contact centre and control rooms as more communities see their police offices taken away."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "While this is an operational decision, Police Scotland's estate strategy, published in 2019, outlined plans to dispose of outdated, under-invested, and under-used properties, so they could develop modern premises capable of delivering effective and efficient public services to meet the needs of people and the staff who use them.

"These plans also include disposing of properties that are no longer used or fit for purpose and the consideration of co-locations with partner organisations in modern, well-equipped accommodation. Such co-locations make the best use of the public sector estate and offer the opportunity for increased visibility, closer working and increased collaboration between partners. Police Scotland has over 60 examples of successful co-location.

"Police perform an essential role keeping Scotland's communities safe, which is why, despite difficult financial circumstances due to UK Government cuts, we increased police funding by £80 million to £1.45 billion in 2023-24."