'Fantastic': MP and councillor welcome news of new police station in Dudley town
News of a new police station in Dudley has been warmly received by local politicians and police officers.
Dudley town centre has been without a police station since the New Street station closed its doors in 2017. However, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster revealed on Friday that Castlegate Business Park will become the home to Dudley Police’s new headquarters.
The current police HQ in Brierley Hill will be sold. However, the local neighbourhood policing team will be re-located locally within the town, to ensure the team remains within the community it serves. West Midlands Police is actively looking for a new police base in Brierley Hill.
Marco Longhi, MP for Dudley North, has been campaigning for a police station in the town since his election in 2019.
The MP said: "There have been far too many broken promises and false starts on this issue... and I have long campaigned for shovels in the ground and for a site to be secured.
"Residents often contact me or see me at my surgeries, concerned about the lack of a police station and police presence in our town, so I am incredibly pleased that I have been able to deliver on this commitment, by working with Dudley Council to help secure this development.
"The new station will mean faster response rates and a greater police presence to tackle the issues we are seeing, particularly in the town centre and on the High Street."
Marco added: "The priorities of Dudley people are my priorities, so I know how important this announcement is, and it is fantastic to see my pledge being delivered."
Labour Councillor Keiran Casey, who represents Castle and Priory Ward, started a campaign for a new police station in the north of the borough and has spoken of his delight at the announcement.
Councillor Casey said: "I’ve been spearheading this campaign since securing the pledge from the Labour Police and Crime Commissioner a few years ago, so it’s great that the promises which were made are now being delivered.
"Crime and antisocial behaviour is one of the top things that residents raise with me as a local councillor and I know what a big issue this is for our communities, so I have no doubt that this new modern station, which will have a publicly open front desk and which will be home to neighbourhood police teams, will make a massive difference to addressing some of these issues locally.
"I want to say a massive thank you Simon [Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster] for delivering on this pledge, as well as to all the local residents who have supported me with this campaign over the past few years, it really does show what can be achieved when we all work together."
Chief Constable Craig Guildford added: "While it is officers on the ground and not the stations they occupy which makes people safer, this is great news for the people of Dudley.
"From the moment I became Chief Constable 10 months ago, I made it clear that West Midlands Police will be providing a service that works for all local people.
"That’s why I developed a local policing model which provides a local, visible police service, delivered in the heart of communities.
"I also pledged to be transparent and accountable to communities about what we are doing and why so I am pleased that we can now share details about these plans to create a new police station that is open to the public, in Dudley town."
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said he has been working hard to deliver on his pledge that Dudley will have its own police station since he was elected in 2021.
Mr Foster said: "I am delighted to announce that Dudley is set to get a brand new police station. I have been working hard to deliver on my pledge, that Dudley will have its own police station, since I was elected in 2021.
"The new police station will be fit for the 21st century and it will become Dudley Police’s headquarters. It will be base for the local neighbourhood policing team, for force response and it will have a front contact office that the public can attend, speak to a police officer and report crime.”
"I am committed to re-building community policing, to keep people, families, businesses and the local community safe and secure."
