Ballynahinch and Portaferry police stations to close in new round of cuts

14 December 2016

BALLYNAHINCH and Portaferry police stations are to close after a final decision on their future was taken this week by the PSNI.

The announcement of their intended closure — along with 10 other stations across Northern Ireland — came in January this year. But just a week later Chief Constable George Hamilton said he was suspending all planned closures to give him time to review the “risks, benefits and implications”.

The final decision on all 12 stations has now been taken to the Policing Board for approval.

Back in 2011 it was revealed 40 per cent of police stations in Northern Ireland could shut as part of a PSNI rationalisation plan. The proposal to close Ballynahinch went out to public consultation in 2012, with the then area commander Chief Inspector Deirdre Bones saying it would cost nearly £0.5m over the next ten years to retain the base.

The Ballynahinch base stopped being a 24 hour response station in July 2010 and was no longer open to the public but had been used as a base for the Neighbourhood Policing Team. The fact that the nearby Saintfield, Crossgar and Killyleagh stations had all closed in recent years had led to concerns that Rowallane was without a police base.

Concerns were also raised on the Ards Peninsula. Portaferry police station was shut to the public in 2014 but there had been hopes it could operate on a part-time basis.

The PSNI’s 2016 Estate Strategy — the fifth such strategy to be developed since 2002 — identified 12 stations no longer open to the public “which are no longer required to support daily business effectively.”

The report notes that Ballynahinch was recommended for closure following the opening of the new Downpatrick station. The station is also noted as expected to sell for £110,000.

The sale of the Portaferry police station is expected to net £125,000.

Councillor Billy Walker, who has been a critic of the PSNI’s estate plans in recent years, said he was braced for further cuts.

“When Killyleagh, Crossgar and Saintfield closed we were told by the PSNI that Ballynahinch had a bright future,” he said. “It is sad that it has come to this.”

Councillor Walker acknowledged there was no longer a police presence in the Ballynahinch station, but claimed the station had been “deliberately run down”.

Councillor Walker also referred to he potential closure of Newcastle police station, which was mooted in an email from the PSNI to the local Policing and Community Safety Partnership back in September, and seen by the Recorder.

“I am going to make another prediction,” he said. “Within the next 18 months to two years Newcastle is going to be earmarked for closure and there will be just two stations in the whole of the new council area — Downpatrick and Newry.

“These consultation processes are a waste of time and resources. They do not take on board the feelings of the people and are only paper exercises.”

PCSP member councillor Terry Andrews said the fight must now turn to saving Newcastle.

“Already there is a huge swathe of the country without a police station and it cannot get worse,” he said. “It means a lot more pressure on officers.”

In a statement the PSNI said its 2016 Estate Strategy details progression towards a ‘fit for purpose’ Police Estate for the next 35–50 years including planned investment in three new police stations at Armagh, Cookstown and Ballymena.

District Commander Superintendent Paul Reid said: “I believe the people of the area understand that policing is delivered by people and not buildings, and that we will continue to keep people in our community safe.

“Our local policing teams and neighbourhood team will continue, as they have done, to deliver a service to the people of the Mournes area that is reflective of local issues and concerns.”

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