A plan is being considered to move officers and staff from Crewe Police Station to a new joint site at Crewe Fire Station.
Cheshire Fire Authority members are being encouraged to back the plan for a joint fire and police facility.
It will cost £200,000 to prepare initial designs, carry out suitable surveys/checks and prepare a cost plan, and then an additional £5 million in the capital programme to cover the potential Fire Authority contribution to the cost of creating the facility.
A report outlining the plan states that senior police chiefs believe Crewe Police Station is no longer “fit for purpose”.
A new joint facility could be occupied and open by 2020/21, the report adds.
The report, to go before the Cheshire Fire Authority on September 19, says: “When Fire and the PCC embarked upon Blue Light Collaboration it was acknowledged that there may be benefits in working together to rationalise the respective estate assets that they owned.
“A report at that time prepared by external advisers identified Crewe as one area where there would be sense in working together to create a joint facility.
“The Chief Constable has indicated to the PCC that the existing operational site in Crewe is too large and not fit for purpose.
“The Chief Constable has also indicated that it would be possible to operate effectively from the current Crewe Fire Station site.
“Fire is anxious to replace the current Crewe Fire Station and intends to build a new fire station on the site.
“The PCC has explored other opportunities and Fire has previously approached Cheshire East Council in relation to the land immediately behind the current Crewe Fire Station site.
“However, these pieces of work did not deliver any tangible outcome and Fire and the PCC are now fully committed to working together to deliver a joint fire and police facility on the current Crewe Fire Station Site.
“It has been concluded that it is possible to fit the requirements of Fire and the Chief Constable, on the Crewe Fire Station site, albeit this will be challenging and is obviously subject to planning approval being secured.”
Both the fire authority and Cheshire Police have outlined their requirements in the new facility.
Fire chiefs would want a three-bay fire station with drill tower and training facilities, watch room, station managers office, watch managers office, fire protection staff office, gym, rest room, kit room, locker room, drying room, kitchen/ dining room, BA workshop and compressor room, community room, Princes Trust/cadet room and advocates office, with associated stores and toilet/washroom facilities.
The report adds: “The Chief Constable’s requirements are expected to be a fully operational Local Policing Unit Deployment Base with public helpdesk, including large open plan office with separate breakout offices, briefing room, individual department offices, kitchen/dining room, helpdesk and office, interview rooms, locker room, taser store, airwaves locker room, CS locker room, property store, external stores including associated stores and toilet/washroom facilities.”
A spokesperson from the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire said: “Crewe Police Station is not closing.
“There is a proposal for the development of joint police and fire facility in Crewe which will improve the provision of police and fire services in the area.
“This proposal supports the police and crime plan objective of delivering a police service fit for the future and would see continued collaboration between police and fire services in Cheshire.
“The proposal will be discussed at the Cheshire Fire Authority meeting and Cheshire Police’s management board this week.
“Regardless of the outcome of the meeting, there will still be a police base in Crewe where the public can report crime and speak to local officers.”
(Pic: Current Crewe police station, pic by google maps)
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