WESTURY will be left without a police station following Wiltshire Police’s plan to formally close the station.
Local councillors have hit out at the news saying they were ‘shocked’ by the decision which will leave Westbury without any police officers based in the town.
Although the station in Station Road has not been open to the public for many years, police officers were still based there and this reassured local people they could respond quickly to any issues in the town. Town councillors are particularly incensed that their offer of free office space at the Laverton for Wiltshire Police has apparently been ignored or overlooked.
And this despite promises from the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire, Angus McPherson, that “I will not shut a police station until a suitable alternative has been arranged.”
Angus McPherson announced the closure of Westbury Police Station as part of his ‘Estate Strategy 2017-2021’. Westbury will be one of 10 police stations in the county that has become ‘surplus to requirements’ and labelled as ‘approaching the end of life’.
Plans have already been made for alternative facilities in Pewsey and Calne, with the introduction of ‘community touchdown points’, areas where officers and staff can still interact with the public, starting in January 2020.
But it appears as though Westbury has been overlooked and the town council is concerned that there are currently no plans for a Westbury touchdown point. They have agreed to write to Angus McPherson, as well as Wiltshire Police chief constable, Kier Pritchard, to remind them that the town council has offered their new Reading Room facilities at The Laverton for this exact use.
Westbury councillor Ian Cunningham, at a meeting of the town council’s policy and resources committee said, “We were rather shocked to find out about the closure of our police station, as it was only announced in Warminster.
“But reading the crime commissioner’s latest report, he has delight in saying that there will be no loss of service in Pewsey and Calne, because they will be getting a community touchdown police location.
“Whereas, as far as I know, there is no mention about what will happen in Westbury, and since we can’t even get into our police station anyway at the moment, I wondered when we are getting our community touchdown point.”
In a recent report about the closures of Calne and Pewsey police stations, Angus Macpherson said, “When making changes to our police estate to ensure it is fit for purpose and meets operational policing needs, it is important that we also retain a presence in our communities. I have always been very clear that I will not shut a police station until a suitable alternative has been arranged. This ensures a continuity in the service we provide to the public, whilst also moving with the times.
“I am seeking to reduce the cost of the Wiltshire Police estate by 20 per cent by 2021. Every pound we save on running our estate is a pound I will not have to save from policing.
“Whilst I understand there might be a perception that the closure of a police building means that local people will have less access to police officers and PCSOs, the reality is very different.
“Visible officers out in the community and with the ability to respond quickly when needed is what keeps people safe, not buildings.
“Using co-located facilities with our partners in the local authority is not a new concept, we have done so for a number of years now. Our officers and staff using the community campus facilities as a touchdown point will help to ensure that they remain visible and accessible within their communities.”
