Plans to close eight police stations across Glasgow set to be made public amid budget gap

Plans to close eight police stations in Greater Glasgow, including a busy city centre site currently open 24/7, are to be put to the public.

Proposals announced by Police Scotland in December raise the possibility of shutting up to 29 stations across Scotland to plug a budget gap.

These include stations at Castlemilk, Gorbals, Saracen in Barloch Street, Pacific Quay, Ferguslie Park, Bishopbriggs and Dumbarton, as well as Baillieston station which has already closed.

The potential shutting of the very busy Stewart Street site, which is open 24/7 and has custody cells, is one of great local concern. MSP Pauline McNeill previously said “it is difficult to see how the city centre of Glasgow could be adequately policed without Stewart Street.”

Police response, community policing, a divisional management team and CID are also based there.

Police inspector Derek Gibson gave an update on the potential closure of the stations at a meeting of the Garscadden, Scotstounhill Area Partnership on Tuesday.

He said Police Scotland was consulting on proposals to close properties across the country due to the impact of funding received from the Scottish Government in 2023 to 2024.

And he pointed out that in some cases multiple buildings that were only a few miles apart were being maintained.

He said: “There are actually eight offices in the Glasgow area proposed for closure.

“Many of these receive a very low front counter footfall and have minimal staff working in them already. The locations of these buildings no longer meet the requirement of our local communities.”

Glasgow MSP Ms McNeill raised the issue of police offices being shut in December after it was announced.

Speaking at the Scottish Parliament, the politician said Stewart Street had “high usage.”

She added: “To close 29 stations is unprecedented and will impact communities across Scotland at a time when confidence in police is falling.”

She asked if the source of the issue is a poor capital budget settlement for Police Scotland.

Responding at Parliament, cabinet secretary for justice and home affairs Angela Constance said the police presence in communities is not solely defined by buildings but the nature of work and engagement.

The SNP MSP said mobile technology has changed how police officers work.
She said: “Capital has not been inflation proofed by the UK Government. Nonetheless this government has more than doubled the capital budget for policing since 2017 – 2018.”

Police Scotland said officers and staff are to be moved to other locations as part of the office closure plan.

To take part in the police consultation the official site.