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Police station to be sold in bid to save thousands
Oakham Police Station, next to the former probation office, left. File picture. Photo: MSMP130213-004ow
Oakham police station is set to go on the market and the town’s officers could move into a smaller building on the site.
The police station has many empty offices and disused cells and Leicestershire Police are looking to sell the premises in Station Road.
Police will continue to operate from the site and the force has submitted a planning application to extend a small office next to the car park.
The building costs about £80,000 to £90,000 to run each year but much of the space is not being used by staff. The move could save Leicestershire Police £60,000 to £70,000 a year.
Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner Sir Clive Loader said the changes would help the force in its bid to save £16.7m before 2015/16.
He said: “We do not want to have large expensive police stations that are much bigger than we need.
“We have a plan to reduce them in size and make them much smaller and that’s what we plan to do with Oakham station.
“We want to free up the current premises and place them on the market. Although it was built only in 1992, the police station is far too big and has many offices and cells which are not in use.
“We hope that people will not want us to be spending money where it’s not needed.
“The planning application for development has been submitted and we must make sure the next premises are fit for purpose and accessible.”
The application is to build a two-storey extension with timber cladding on the outside.
There will still be space for car parking.
Police will still operate from the site while the extension is built.
Sir Clive has reassured people that police services would not be adversely affected.
He said: “Neighbourhood policing is a priority for us and we need to make sure beat officers and police community support officers have a presence in the town and that trust can be placed in them by the public.”
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Weather for Stamford
Monday 20 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 19 C
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