Plans for a new, purpose built police station for Newton-le-Willows have been given the go-ahead, subject to all planning conditions being met.
The new police station will be located on Market Street Earlestown – on what is currently a car park.
It will have a public enquiry office with a waiting area, an interview room and meeting room, as well as offices, a multi-faith room, storage space and an operational car park. It has been designed to act as a base for engaging with the community, make it easier for local people to report crimes and seek help.
The new police station is another step in Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell’s 12-year plan to modernise and update Merseyside Police’s stations and buildings to ensure officers and staff are in the right places and best equipped to serve communities across the region.
The plans describe the custom-built police station as “designed for modern policing, fully accessible to the public” and set out how it will be more efficient and sustainable than the current building, which was opened in the 1970s and is now outdated and requiring extensive repairs. Officers and staff will be able use the new police station around the clock, with the improved facilities better supporting their wellbeing.
In addition, the plans for the new police station, which is located within the Earlestown Conservation Area, have been designed to be sympathetic to the town’s historic character, reflecting the traditional terraced layout with a double gable-ended slate roof and using red-brown brick.
Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “Newton-le-Willows police station is in a great position to serve its community, but sadly the existing building has reached the end of its lifespan and is in dire need of modernisation.
“Following a significant amount of work to review all the options, it has been assessed that it will be more cost effective to replace the current building with a new high-quality, accessible, custom-built station which is fit for purpose and more sustainable.
“I’m pleased that as part of our 12-year plan to transform and modernise Merseyside Police’s buildings, we can now submit a carefully thought through application to take these plans forward, proposing a new police station which is respectful of the rich cultural heritage of the area on the same site as the existing building.
“We believe this is the best solution to ensure officers and staff have the right facilities in the right location to serve the community of Newton-le-Willows.”
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: “It is vital officers and staff are able to work from stations that are fit for purpose so that we can meet the needs of the communities we serve.
“The PCC’s commitment to refreshing the policing estate is a welcome boost to our officers and staff who have been working from aging police stations that are no longer fit for purpose.
“The building of the new station at Newton-le-Willows, a facility purpose-built for the modern world, reinforces our commitment to putting local communities at the heart of everything we do now, and in the future.”
About the PCC’s Estate Strategy
The PCC’s 12-year Estate Strategy includes major new police hub stations in St Helens, Wirral, and Knowsley, as well as new police stations in Southport and Newton-le-Willows, all of which are due to be completed in the next five years.
During the life of the plan, more than £21m is expected to be recouped from the sale of 11 old and unused stations, including Merseyside Police’s former headquarters in Canning Place and the sale of stations in Bromborough, Birkenhead, Wallasey, and Ainsdale.
By selling outdated buildings that are no longer fit for purpose and replacing them with state-of-the-art new police stations, it is anticipated that a further £2.37m will be saved on the annual cost of running the police estate – helping to protect police officer posts.
View a summary of the Estate Strategy 2023-35.
Get Newton-le-Willows news updates by email
Don’t miss out on local information that you need. Sign up below.
Did you know? You can find local businesses in our Newton-le-Willows Local Directory
Next time you need a trader, cake baker, hairdresser or accountant, use our Local Directory to choose to support a small, local business first. Take a look at all the businesses we have listed.