Anger over plan to swap Brierley Hill police station for ‘a few tucked-away rooms in a council building’

The borough’s main police station is set to move from Brierley Hill to Dudley with a new headquarters due to open in the autumn, replacing the prominent Brierley Hill Police Station in Bank Street which has been listed for closure since 2018.

Meanwhile, a new satellite base will be opened at Cable Plaza at The Waterfront to maintain a police presence in Brierley Hill.

Ward councillor Adam Davies, however, has told of his disappointment about the planned new base - saying it will not be “a fit or equal replacement for what we currently have”.

Councillor Davies (Conservative) said: “This plan represents the biggest reduction ever in police officer numbers and police services based in Brierley Hill.

“Cable Plaza at Waterfront is a big shiny building, but the police will only have a small location inside of it, and only a fraction of the officers and resources that currently serve our area will be based there. The rest will move to the new £6 million police superstation at Castlegate near Tipton.”

The new base at The Waterfront will accommodate two neighbourhood police teams but Councillor Davies said he is concerned it will not have 24/7 emergency response officers or a public desk where people can report crime and speak to officers in person.

Councillor Davies criticised the new base - describing it as “a few tucked-away rooms inside a council building on Waterfront” and adding: “Unless other teams, including emergency response and a public front desk, are kept in Brierley Hill as they are today, then it's hard to see how our area won't be less safe as a result of this inexcusable plan.”

Stourbridge Labour MP Cat Eccles, whose constituency includes Brierley Hill, however, has welcomed the plan to move officers from their existing Brierley Hill base into Cable Plaza.

She said: “The building is no longer fit for purpose and refurbishing does not make economic sense. The new site, just half a mile from the current police station, will house two neighbourhood policing teams when Brierley Hill Police Station closes in autumn.

“Police will be co-located with teams from the local authority, saving money for taxpayers and improving joint working between stakeholders.

“I'm so pleased that - working with the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Dudley Police and Dudley Council - the plans have come to fruition.”

She added: “A lot of residents will be really pleased to hear we’ve found a replacement for the outdated police station building. I know a lot of residents have been really concerned about keeping their neighbourhood teams close by, especially after we managed to get the Stourbridge hub reopened thanks to Simon Foster - the Police and Crime Commissioner.

“It’s a win-win for residents and it’s a win for businesses and local people.”

Brierley Hill councillor Wayne Little (Conservative), however, was less buoyant about the move and said: "It's nonsense for our MP to describe having less police officers and less police resources based in Brierley Hill as 'a win' for people and businesses in Brierley Hill.

"There is no question this plan leaves Brierley Hill with less police officers and less police resources based here."

Meanwhile, work is under way to turn a two-storey former insurance call centre at Dudley's Castlegate Business Park into the new Dudley Police HQ after it was bought for £3.35 million by West Midlands Police in 2023.

Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands Simon Foster said: “I have been working hard to deliver on my pledge - that Dudley will have its own new police station - and I am pleased to see the progress being made.

“The new police station will be fit for 21st century policing and it will become Dudley Police’s headquarters.

“It will be a base for the local neighbourhood policing teams, for response and it will have a front contact office that the public can attend, speak to a police officer and report crime.”

He added that he was pleased to announce the new Brierley Hill base at The Waterfront too, adding: “I am committed to re-building community policing, to prevent and tackle crime and keep people, families, businesses and the local community safe and secure.”

Chief Constable Craig Guildford said the new Dudley location for the borough’s main police station will enable officers to “respond in an efficient manner while co-locating with the council at Cable Plaza in Brierley Hill is good news for the tax payer and helps us build effective working relationships”.

Chief Superintendent Anthony Tagg, commander for Dudley local policing area, said of the changes: “We’re all keen to move into our new modern facilities. We’ll be sad to leave the old Brierley Hill station but the reality is, the site is not fit for purpose and refurbishing it does not make economic sense. 

"Our hard-working police officers deserve better and so do the victims and witnesses who come into the building. 

“The new Castlegate site will have the latest victim care facilities and a new public contact office so we can get the best possible evidence from people.

“Importantly, our new Brierley Hill base is in a fantastic location that strengthens joint working.”