In September 2017 the SPA approved a period of consultation in relation to 53 properties facing potential disposal. These properties were identified following a review of the estate in accordance with the objectives of the Police Scotland Estate Strategy and the principles of Policing 2026.
The results support the disposal of 49 of the 53 properties and the recommendation we are making to the Scottish Police Authority is for these 49 properties to be disposed of.
The consultation indicated support to retain 4 of the 53 properties and Police Scotland will recommend to the SPA to retain these 4 properties with the intention of engaging further with local communities and partners to try and identify solutions that make best use of these properties for the future
The consultation was launched on 1 November 2017 and closed on 31 January 2018.
Deputy Chief Officer, David Page, said, “Police Scotland inherited a large estate from the legacy forces, which was developed over many years to respond to the challenges and risks during that time. However, as Policing 2026 has demonstrated, the demands and risks facing policing have changed significantly over the years and will continue to do so.
“This includes how local communities contact us and engage with us, with an increasing preference to use the telephone and internet, including social media, rather than attending a police station. Yet despite these changes our estate has largely been unchanged and it was therefore right that we reviewed our estate, in line with the objectives of our Estate Strategy and Policing 2026.
“The review of our estate was carried out to ensure it is fit for purpose, reflects the changing nature of policing and can support service delivery to local communities. Local Policing Commanders were significantly involved in the review as they are best placed to understand the local needs of their respective divisions.
“The three-month long public consultation in relation to the 53 properties provided an opportunity for local communities, partners and stakeholders to give their opinion and feedback. There was an excellent response to the consultation with 1,731 responses which involved local engagement by officers within Local Policing Divisions.
“The vast majority of the properties are empty or will soon become empty, and the consultation results shows a high level of support from the public and from local communities for the disposal of these properties. The consultation results support the disposal of 49 of the 53 properties and the recommendation we are making to the Scottish Police Authority is for these 49 properties to be disposed of. The consultation indicated support to retain 4 of the 53 properties and our recommendation to the SPA is to retain these 4 properties with the intention of engaging further with local communities and partners to try and identify solutions that make best use of these properties for the future.
“I would like to thank everyone who took the time to contribute to the consultation, the results of which are available on the Scottish Police Authority website”.
Police Scotland is to report the results of a public consultation on the disposal of police properties to the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) Board on Wednesday 2 May 2018.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
