Councillor calls for 'decisive action' over future of former police station in Renfrewshire

The former police station in Renfrew has lain empty for “far too long” as renewed calls have been issued to find the B-listed building a new use.

More than £260,000 has been set aside to fund demolition of a rear portion of the Inchinnan Road landmark as well as rot removal and other repair works.

The money, allocated from the Renfrew Common Good fund, has been directed towards securing the immediate future of the structure.

However, Councillor Jamie McGuire, a Labour representative for Renfrew North and Braehead, has called for “decisive action” to prevent it falling into disrepair again.

He raised the matter during a discussion on the buildings at risk register at Renfrewshire Council’s economy and regeneration policy board on Tuesday.

Councillor McGuire said: “The old Renfrew police station has been sitting vacant for far too long.

“While I welcome the recent approval for partial demolition and efforts to remove rot, this is simply not enough on its own.

“We need to take decisive action now before the building deteriorates any further.

“It is disgraceful that such a prominent and historic building in Renfrew has been allowed to sit unused for years.”

The politician expressed concern about the fate of the property and pointed to the demise of the Brown Institute in Canal Street, demolished last year.

He added: “We have already seen the consequences of neglect with the Brown Institute – once an important part of Renfrew’s history, now lost.

“We cannot let the same thing happen here. The council must seriously consider what we’re going to do with this building beyond just structural works. We cannot afford to wait any longer.

“I’m waiting to see if there is any allocation within the budget for regeneration beyond those standard structural works.”

The former police station dates back to 1910 and was designed by architect Alexander Nisbet Paterson. It was leased by the police until June 2012 before they moved on to new premises in Station Road.

Since then, the building has lain vacant and suffered severe deterioration, exacerbated by break-ins, vandalism and extensive water ingress.

The local authority previously submitted an application to the Levelling Up Fund for a £20 million project to transform the police station and neighbouring swimming baths into a community hub but the bid was unsuccessful.

SNP councillor Andy Steel, convener of the board, said: “The plan as I understand it is to have the work done under common good funding to remove the dry rot and the damp.

“That then makes the building far more attractive to developers to develop because they don’t have the restorative and demolition work for that in fact.

“That takes that bill right off of them. I would suggest this council is bending over backwards to help do everything they can to get that building back into use.

“It is one thing unfortunately – and this is the reality as you’ll be perfectly well aware – to say we want to see that building back in use.

“It’s a hell of a lot more difficult to actually find an appropriate body, group, whoever that wants to go in and use it because although it looks beautiful, it’s also very elderly.”