Weetwood Police Station in Leeds up for sale as force prepares to vacate site by May

The station in north west Leeds, which opened in 1983, is currently used as office space and is acting as a temporary base for officers while Pudsey Police Station is refurbished.

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Marketing of the two-storey building and surrounding land off Otley Road began this week after West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner confirmed it could be formally offered for sale.

Why is it being sold off?

Crime commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson said that West Yorkshire Police has experienced £140m in cuts to its core grant from the Government since 2010, with the loss of around 2,000 jobs.

He said he had been helping to rebuild officer numbers and protect PSCO numbers using money raised through the police precept element of council tax, but there was "still a long way to go" to support frontline policing.

Working alongside the force, his team has reviewed all police buildings in West Yorkshire to ensure they offer the best value for money and operational effectiveness.

Mr Burns-Williamson said: “Weetwood Police Station was within those considerations and with alternative local options having been identified for officers and staff housed in the building, it was deemed that a large cost saving per year could be reinvested into local policing.

“When Weetwood is sold, a saving of £270,000 a year in estates running costs will be made, on top of whatever the sale price brings which is a significant amount and ensures we can divert those monies to protecting frontline policing."

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How will the closure affect local policing?

The closure of the station's public enquiry desk was announced in autumn 2017 and its custody suite had already closed in 2011, meaning usage has reduced significantly.

Mr Burns-Williamson said: "Weetwood has been largely unoccupied for a few years. There is currently a small local policing team working from there but they will now be based at the Welcome Inn Community Centre in Tinshill.

"Partnership working and co-location continues to play a key role, sharing premises where possible to make sure we are working better together and providing a greater policing visibility across all our communities.

“What is important to recognise is that the loss of a building does not affect police presence or result in a change in response times - we have retained our neighbourhood policing footprint and every opportunity for contact is exploited."

He pointed to contact options such as the live chat facility on the force website, online reporting forms and the 101 and 999 numbers that offer an alternative to physically attending police stations.

A wider public consultation on West Yorkshire Police contact found 91 per cent of participants had not used a public help desk in 12 months and 61 per cent had never used one.

Mr Burns-Williamson said the public tell him that they want to see officers out on the streets and in communities, not sat in police stations.

He added: “During the last few years I have invested around £20m to help transform the way the police work, including the introduction of agile equipment such as body worn cameras and mobile devices.

"While the financial returns from the sale of buildings can only be used as investment towards future capital investment, the money saved from their significant running costs is being pumped back into frontline policing wherever possible helping to keep our communities safe.”

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When will the station be closed and sold?

The marketing of the site has already begun and final completion is predicted to be by Christmas 2020, according to Mr Burns-Williamson.

Sales information published by estate services firm Avison Young says the station will be vacant by May.

What might the site be used for in future?

Avison Young describes the 3.51 acre site as being a prime development or refurbishment opportunity.

It says the property includes a secure yard, indoor gymnasium hall and a large car parking area.

Market material notes that the land is not currently zoned within the council's Site Allocation Plan in the Adopted Local Plan.

It says: "The property has planning consent for its current use as a police station.

"In July 2019, planning pre-applications were submitted to Leeds City Council for consideration. This covered uses including housing, care home/assisted living and conversion to offices.

"The outcome of the pre-application meeting was that residential uses on the site were acceptable in principle, subject to addressing the specific planning policy requirements."