Police Scotland confirm the closure of two police stations in Highland and Islands
Following public consultation earlier this year, two vacant police stations in Highland and Islands have been approved to be disposed, while investment in housing and other stations has been progressed.
Plans have been approved to dispose of Muir of Ord police station in Ross-shire and Brae police station on mainland Shetland following public consultation.
Both stations have been formally declared as surplus by Police Scotland and will now be marketed for sale.
Police Scotland announced on 14 December, 2023 proposals to close police stations across the country as part of their estate transformation strategy.
Public consultation was launched both at a local level and nationally through an online Engagement Hub.
The consultation on the future of Muir of Ord was opened on 14 December, 2023 and concluded 18 February, 2024. In total there were four respondents.
The consultation on the future of Brae was opened on 6 March, 2024 and concluded on 8 April, 2024. In total there were 10 respondents
Speaking about the approved disposals, Highland and Islands Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Robert Shepherd said: “Muir of Ord and Brae stations were built in the 1960s and 1970s in an age when the road network and transport options was not as advanced as they are now.
“With advances and investment in digital technology and the quality of our vehicle fleet, officers are no longer tied to working from police buildings in a particular area.
"Officers can complete their reports and paperwork directly on their mobile devices without the need to return to the office. The officers based at Dingwall and Lerwick therefore spend more of their time out in their local communities dealing with calls and helping the public.
“Muir of Ord has not served a purpose in policing the area for some time. It has not been used by local policing officers for over three years since Dingwall became the main response hub for the area. Since then, the building has only been used occasionally by some support functions.
“For Shetland’s mainland, over the last eight years, local policing officers have mostly deployed from Lerwick and continued to support and serve the surrounding areas. The last officer based at Brae retired in June 2022.
“I realise that for many, the physical presence of a police station has provided reassurance and confidence to the local community over the years. However, our presence in communities is not defined by buildings but by the officers and staff who work in the area. Operational police officers have not been stationed in these buildings for some time and they have continued to incur running costs and ongoing repairs and maintenance.
“Although we are disposing of two vacant buildings we are also investing in others. We are in the process of creating a new co-location police office on South Uist, which we aim to open later this year and we are also actively looking at options for co-locating with partners on North Uist in the Western Isles. In addition to this, over the last year we have also upgraded existing housing and invested in new housing for local officers in Shetland, Orkney, Gairloch, Glencoe and Strontian.
“Officers working in remote and rural locations play an integral part in community life and it is vital we support them to remain or relocate to these areas. The Police Scotland housing strategy sets out how we are providing modern, fit for purpose accommodation which is environmentally sustainable, and which provides best value to our officers and the public.
“Officers will continue to actively patrol the local areas, as they have been doing successfully for the last few years. We are committed to maintaining a strong presence and ensuring the safety of the community.”
Copies of the consultation findings have been published on our Engagement Hub: Estate Transformation: Local Area Consultations - Police Scotland - Citizen Space
