Several Birmingham police stations and other buildings are facing closure while others are facing changes, according to the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner. He announced that only 10 Public Contact Offices will continue to remain in the West Midlands.
Birmingham will continue to have 16 neighbourhood police stations and other police buildings but not all the police stations in Birmingham will be public contact offices.
Meanwhile, 30 police buildings will be closed amid “significant cost pressures” in the region. The West Midlands Police force will see several changes, including a range of new or refurbished buildings brought into use, while other expensive and under-used sites will be sold or the leases left to expire.
The Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, said: “The force has had to make cuts of £28 million in 2023/24 and must make cuts of £21 million in the next financial year (2024/25), according to West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner. The West Midlands is seriously disadvantaged when it comes to police funding, due to a national funding formula, that fails to allocate resources fairly.”
Force Contact, where the public’s 999 and 101 calls are answered, is being centralised into one site at Park Lane in Birmingham - replacing the four offices in Wednesfield, Birmingham, Coventry and West Bromwich.
The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, said: “When I was elected, I pledged to rebuild community policing. I am pleased that we are able to announce, a range of new, retained and refurbished police buildings, as part of this estates’ strategy. This investment will ensure a police estate that is fit for the 21st century.”
He added: “10 Public Contact Offices, will be kept in place across the region. The new police estate, will strive to be greener and more sustainable than ever and I wholeheartedly support that.”
See full list of 16 police stations & other police sites to be retained in Birmingham:
1. Moseley Police Station
Moseley police building with its current 4 Neighbourhood Policing Teams are retained.
2. Castle Vale Police Station
Neighbourhood Policing Teams are currently co-located within a partner building. This will continue.
3. Stechford Police Station
This building will be refurbished and will act as the Birmingham Police HQ. There will be a Public Contact Office, corporate policing functions, Neighbourhood Policing Teams, Response and a newly re-opened Custody Suite.
4. Erdington Police Station
Site to be refurbished and the current teams to remain including Neighbourhood Policing Teams.