Saintfield PSNI station to shut, but Ballynahinch to stay open

Saintfield PSNI station to shut, but Ballynahinch to stay open

4 April 2012 - by Joanne Fleming

SAINTFIELD police station is to close — but the Ballynahinch base has received a stay of execution.

A formal recommendation to close Saintfield police station was made yesterday by the PSNI’s C District Commander, Nigel Grimshaw, to the Policing Board.

It follows a period of public consultation on proposals to close Saintfield and Ballynahinch as part of an efficiency drive the PSNI says is essential in the light of government budget cutbacks.

The proposals were fought by a number of local politicians who feared a large swathe of County Down would be left without a PSNI base following the closure of Killyleagh, Crossgar, Comber, Ardglass and Castlewellan stations in recent years.

Chief Superintendent Grimshaw has not commented on the future of Ballynahinch, only recommending Saintfield, and Donaghadee in the Ards area, for closure within C District.

“As a result of the review during which a range of views were canvassed, I have reached the view that the stations at Saintfield and Donaghadee are no longer required operationally and have recommended closure,” he said.

Quoting reduced crime figures, he said any reduction in the police estate did not equate with a reduction in service.

“The PSNI has undertaken to deliver £135m in efficiency savings back to the government over the next four years and has agreed to deliver a £2.2m saving in the estate baseline budget in order to protect frontline staff and services,” he said. “This means we cannot continue to fund the current size of our police estate.”

DUP councillor Billy Walker said he was disappointed by the decision on Saintfield and took no comfort from the fact that Ballynahinch was currently unscathed.

“We all know that when the new Downpatrick station is built Ballynahinch will be up for closure again,” he said. “This leaves the Rowallane area with no police station.

“As I said at the time, this consultation process was a paper exercise. Once again I am calling on more mobile police station resources to be devoted to the area and for revenue made from the sale of local police buildings to be pumped back into the area.”

Sinn Fein councillor Liam Johnston said, however, that “common sense had prevailed” in the decision to close Saintfield.

“It takes a huge amount of money to keep it open,” he said. “This is a station sitting empty and used as a storage facility.

“Every single consultation we have done shows the public want more police officers on the streets, not in buildings.”