Consultation is coming to an end

A consultation on the disposal of police offices in Bannockburn and Bridge of Allan is set to conclude at the end of the month.

People are encouraged to have their say on the plans by completing an online survey, which was launched in November, ahead of the expected closure of the premises in the coming months.

The Observer reported in October that Police Scotland had been given the green light by the Scottish Police Authority to begin a three-month public engagement exercise relating to 53 of their 375 properties across the country.

Police insist it is important to give the affected communities, partners and stakeholders the chance to influence such decisions.

They say that they will use the responses they receive, along with other evidence, to form a conclusion and help decide which of the premises should be disposed of. The responses and an analysis will be presented to the Scottish Police Authority Board before being made public.

All stations involved in the process had already been identified by police commanders as being surplus to requirements.

The office in Bannockburn is currently used to locate two community police officers and a non-operational officer working on a national portfolio, although much of the IT equipment has already been moved to another location.

The Bridge of Allan police station is used for two non-operational police officers who provide a national support function.

The office is not used for any operational service delivery.

This office was closed to the public in 2014 following a national review of front counter service.

The plan is to relocate operations, including the community officers, to the police station in Stirling.

Police say that the properties were selected following a detailed review of their estate, undertaken as part of the Police Scotland Review Strategy. This underpins Policing 2026 – their longterm strategy.

Assistant chief constable Andy Cowie, strategic lead for estates change, spoke last year about the need to review properties which are currently unused or not required.

He said: “The review of the estate was conducted to ensure that it is fit for purpose and reflects the changing nature of policing and can support service delivery to local communities.

“There are a large number of properties currently empty, or soon to be empty.

“However, they still have associated running costs. Such a position does not provide best value or help achieve financial sustainability.”

The survey can be found at consult. scotland.police.uk and on the Police Scotland social media channels.

Responses can also be emailed policepremisespublicconsultation@ scotland.pnn.police.uk or sent to Estate Change Team, Randolphfield, Stirling Police Station, St Ninians, Stirling, FK8 2HD.

There are a large number of properties which are currently empty