The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Public urged to join police station debate
Consultation: Future of police premises under consideration
Community groups and businesses in Tayside and Fife have been urged to join a debate on the closure of police buildings.
Police Scotland is considering closing 53 buildings across Scotland that are “no longer required”, including 11 premises in Tayside and Fife.
There are three stations currently under review for disposal in Angus as part of a three-month consultation exercise which closes on January 31.
The outcome of the consultation with staff, local communities and partners will be fed back to the Scottish Police Authority board before any further action is taken.
Monifieth and Sidlaw Lib Dem councillor Ben Lawrie said: “In Angus there are three stations under review for disposal.
“Muirhead and Friockheim each have a station which has been empty since 2013. The one in Letham has been empty since 2010. Despite these stations being empty for some time, they still incur a running cost.
“The purpose of this consultation is to give the public a chance to express whether they approve of the disposal of these premises and to let Police Scotland know their views.
“There may be scope for community groups or new businesses to occupy these buildings and I find that quite exciting. COUNCILLOR BEN LAWRIE
“The disposal of these unused facilities provide opportunities, not just for the police to save money on facilities they don’t need, but for these premises to find a new and invigorated purpose.
“There may be scope for community groups or new businesses to occupy these buildings and I find that quite exciting.”
A total of 43 of the buildings in Scotland are empty, but the others are still used as a base. Staff occupying the 10 buildings being used would be relocated to other permanent facilities, Police Scotland said.
The properties were selected after a review of the entire police estate.
The buildings in Tayside are Bridge of Earn, Longforgan, Stanley, Broughty Ferry (169 Brook Street), Police Mortuary Dundee, Muirhead, Friockheim and Letham.
Three properties are being considered for closure in Fife at Kincardine, Cardenden and Rosyth.
Police Scotland said it inherited a large estate that was developed many years ago, when the demands facing policing were “significantly different from our current demands”.
In line with its 2026 strategy, it is looking to ensure its service is “sustainable and appropriate for local needs”. It said this has led to 53 premises being identified for potential disposal following a review its estate.
The force originally had a list 58 buildings it was considering for closure as part of a review of estate strategy established in 2015.
It said then that the move could generate annual revenue savings of between £5 million and £18 million a year and property sales could raise up to £34 million for the force.