Salisbury police station: 'No timescale' on building

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson blamed delays on tricky negotiations and planning rules

Wiltshire's police and crime commissioner (PCC) said he can't give a timeline on when Salisbury will get its long-promised police station.

A budget of £30m is expected to be allocated at a meeting today, with a site at Old Sarum the first choice.

But PCC Philip Wilkinson said there were "difficulties" in the purchase negotiations.

The same meeting is expected to approve a five per cent rise in the police share of council tax.

Salisbury has been without a dedicated police station for a decade, with the force instead sharing office space with Wiltshire Council.

The PCC and the Chief Constable have both conceded the current setup is hindering performance in the South of the county.

Wiltshire Police currently shares space at Wiltshire Council's Bourne Hill office.

Delivering a new facility was one of the first priorities Conservative Philip Wilkinson set after being elected.

"The Chief Constable and I, we are committed, we have the resources, the difficulty is dealing with the third parties", said Mr Wilkinson.

Salisbury's police fleet rely on a public car park, without the maintenance, fuel supplies and security of an ordinary police station

He admitted he had "underachieved" on this plan due to underestimating the "difficulties negotiating with third parties who have their own agendas" and dealing with biodiversity planning rules.

The PCC also confirmed two locations are being considered for purchase, the "priority" being at Old Sarum, with a "fall-back option" at High Post.

"We do need greater visibility in the south of the county," said Chief Constable Catherine Roper, who said she believed it would happen although also acknowledged the process was taking longer than hoped.

The £30m funding has been secured for a station without a custody suite, but the intention is to buy enough land to potentially build a suite at a later date.

Chief Constable Catherine Roper said a new Salisbury hub would benefit policing in the whole of South Wiltshire

Meanwhile the Wiltshire police share of the council tax is expected to rise by 5.1 per cent, or £13 a year for a typical Band D household.

The PCC said it would help get the force out of special measures.

"In order to make the improvements we are making, we are asking residents of Wiltshire to continue with the ongoing investment", Mr Wilkinson said

He said central government funding made Wiltshire the second lowest funded force in the country, per head of population.

But even with the rise, which is the maximum allowed by government, the force still needs to find £2.4m in savings to balance the books.