Walton Police Station…….it is going!!

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Over the last year members of the executive have collated information about the sale of Surrey Police stations; this is from correspondence, discussions (including with the Police Authority Chairman), the Internet and observations.

Our conclusions are now posted on our website under the title “Sold down the river….” with supporting letters to the Society and documents publicly posted on the Surrey Police Authority Freedom of Information website.

We now believe that Surrey Police should seek an independent review of the Police Station sales before it proceeds further.

Freedom of information request: Closure of Walton Police Station NOV 10

Freedom of information request: Closure of Walton Police Station MAY 11

Reply to The Walton Society from Surrey Police Authority Sept 2011 

Guildford

Surrey

GU3 1BR
Tel: 01483 630200
Fax: 01483 634502

e-mail: spa@surrey.police.uk
Website: www.surreypa.qov.uk

2nd September 2011

Dear John

Thank you for the time you, Andrew and Chris gave to our meeting of the 25th August, which Dave, Gavin and I found most helpful.

I undertook to write to you to give an indication of the savings we expected to make through the closure and eventual sale of four existing police stations in Elmbridge Borough (Cobham, East Molesey, Esher and Walton). I made clear at the time that I cannot reveal the estimated capital values we ascribe to the properties due to the commercial sensitivity of that information. However, I can say that we expect annual revenue savings from the closure of these sites to be around £250k per annum.

On the other side of that coin so to speak, the Force is planning to invest in additional frontline police resources for the Borough:

• One Police Sergeant and one Police Constable for the Neighbourhood Support Team
• A further three Police Constables to work as Neighbourhood Support Officers; and
• One Detective Constable to support crime investigation by the Neighbourhood Team

The total cost of these additional police resources is in the order of £300k per annum – an investment in excess of the savings generated by the closure of the area’s current police stations. The savings we are making in other parts of the organisation — such as reducing senior officer and staff numbers and simplifying the operating structure of the force — contribute the remainder of the increased investment whilst also helping us to close the funding gap we face as a result of budget cuts.

We have been clear from the outset that our focus at a time of unprecedented funding reductions is on protecting front line policing in Surrey. We acted early and radically, at times facing criticism for doing so, but always in the knowledge that the public put the highest premium on front line police officer numbers. We are convinced that we have developed a well thought-through strategy to address the circumstances we now face, and one which will hold us in good stead for the future.

Ultimately, it is impossible to justify the outlay on maintaining police buildings visited by a handful of people each week when that money can make a real and visible difference on the front line. A recent county-wide audit found that the combined public sector estate in Surrey includes more than 8,000 assets across 3,700 sites. By finding alternative, shared bases for our Neighbourhood teams in Council offices, community centres and other public places we can maintain our active presence in communities at a fraction of the cost of a bespoke police station. As I remarked at the meeting, Surrey is now the only force in the country actively expanding its Police Constable establishment, despite its shrinking budget, whilst confidence in the police in Surrey is currently the highest nationally.

I hope that we have succeeded in explaining in more detail the reasoning behind our plans and in allaying your concerns. Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any other questions or concerns about the plans and I will be pleased to assist.
Yours sincerely,
Peter Williams
Chairman, Surrey Police Authority