Stourport police station to move to Civic Centre (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Stourport police station to move to Civic Centre

5:42pm Thursday 21st February 2013 in A-B

STOURPORT police station could close and be relocated to the Civic Centre according to money-saving plans announced by West Mercia Police today.

The plans, set out in a new policing model, include suggestions to close Bewdley police station, in Kidderminster Road, as well as a small police base in Comberton, in Queen Elizabeth Road.

Chief Constable David Shaw and Police and Crime Commissioner Bill Longmore announced the force needed to save £20.1 million by 2015 and plan to do this by closing stations and bases.

Stourport plans could see West Mercia Police working with local authorities to share facilities at the Civic Centre while the station, in Bewdley Road, closes.

Despite the planned closure of Bewdley station, services are unlikely to be affected as officers already respond to incidents in the town from Kidderminster and there is currently no staffed front desk.

Plans also include reducing the number of police patrol bases from 30 to 11 across the West Mercia force area, closing 11 police buildings entirely and enabling officers to be stationed at schools, community centres or shopping centres.

Mr Shaw said: “We can no longer afford to have as many police buildings as we do. Buildings provide no protection but people do.”

Mr Shaw stressed that no stations would close until alternative services had been provided.

Mr Longmore said: “I hope people understand the very difficult financial situation the police are in and that changes have to be made to make better use of the funding that’s available.

“By looking at the police estate we can save £1.5 million which is the equivalent of 30 police constables or 51 PCSOs.”

A consultation is now underway until the end of March. Two public sessions will be held for people to find out more about the plans.

The first will be at Shropshire Food Enterprise Centre, in Shrewsbury on Thursday, February 28 at 1pm, followed by an event at Worcester Whitehouse Hotel, in Foregate Street, on Tuesday March 5 at 1pm.