West Mercia Police sharing buildings 'maximises effectiveness'

West Mercia PCC John Campion said public services working in shared buildings helps them work together more effectively

Police, fire and other public services should be based in shared buildings to "maximise effectiveness", West Mercia's police and crime commissioner has said.

John Campion said co-locating with other organisations would help the services work together more effectively and provide better value for money.

He told the Police and Crime Panel the force already has strong ties with Hereford and Worcester Fire Service.

Mr Campion said he wanted to see similar ties set up in Shropshire.

"We have good collaboration at the moment with Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service," he told the panel.

"They are based within the estate at Hindlip Park and a number of West Mercia Police functions are in fire and rescue buildings.

"We have one shared building and the construction of another at Redditch is under way."

Tenbury station sold

A report to the panel said Mr Campion would only consider selling police stations if they were "fit-for-purpose alternatives within the same communities".

For example, the recent sale of Tenbury Wells Police Station led to police relocating to the town's fire station last year, he said.

Other shared facilities exist in Bromsgrove, Redditch, Leominster, Peterchurch and the Wyre Forest Hub.

The report said that while the relationship with the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service was "less developed", the two organisations were "now engaged positively to look at possibilities and opportunities".

Mr Campion told the panel: "In the south we have very good engagement with the fire service but that assessment is not the same in the north, in Shropshire and Telford."

He said the two organisations had previously had a "much more stand-offish relationship", but he had been reassured by the new chief fire officer that the service was keen to work more closely with police.

The report said there were locations within Shropshire where the police had co-located with other public sector partners, such as in Pontesbury.

Similar arrangements exist in Wem, Whitchurch, Shifnal and Bridgnorth, the report added.

'Back in Shifnal'

Mr Campion was also asked if there were plans for further facilities in Telford and Wrekin.

He said he was in talks with Newport Town Council about potential arrangements.

"I was very pleased to get a police base back in Shifnal, which was down to the local council being tenacious and making it happen," he said.

"Just as I became commissioner, my predecessor had closed the police station in Newport and sold it.

"There is a desire to have a police base akin to the Shifnal model, in Newport.

"We are having a lot of conversations with the town council as to how we could make that happen."

He said he was also looking at possibilities for Wellington, where the police station is bigger than needed, but there were no imminent plans.

'Councils at heart'

He added: "I see the local town councils as being at the heart of that across West Mercia, not just in Telford and Wrekin."

Bromsgrove councillor Helen Jones asked whether there was also the potential to bring the ambulance service on board.

But Mr Campion said: "Ambulance are traditionally difficult to engage with.

"They are much more mobile in their deployment and in their use of technology.

"We have not necessarily successfully engaged with them around estates in my time, but I don't think other partners have."