Police Scotland has confirmed it will keep Ryehill Police Station open while it investigates the viability of shared use in the West End building.
Dundee City councillor Fraser Macpherson said a meeting between himself, West End Community Council chair Peter Menzies and two senior Police Scotland representatives had helped secure the commitment.
As recently as Wednesday, Jenny Marra MSP, who represents the North East region, said she had been told such a move was not on the cards.
Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, she added: “Given that it was confirmed to me that sharing is not possible in the Ryehill building, and that closure of Ryehill Police Station would mean west end police being based in other council wards, will the cabinet secretary please ask Police Scotland to drop the consultation on the station’s closure?”
Michael Matheson, the justice secretary, said the process is about “local area commanders taking a local approach that reflects local needs”.
West End campaigners are hoping Police Scotland will now decide to share their use of the building with other services instead of closing it.
The issue has been the focus of a petition in the area and has even been debated in the Scottish Parliament.
The station did not appear on a supposed “hit list” of possible police office closures revealed earlier this week.
Councillor Macpherson said: “I am pleased that the police are prepared to fully investigate the viability of a shared service for the police office at Ryehill which, if successful, would secure the long term future of the building as a police office but also allow for best use of the building by having possibly more than one service located there.
“There has been huge support in the West End for retaining the Ryehill Police Office and I am extremely grateful to all local residents for supporting the retention of the police office by signing the petition against closure and by expressing their wish to see the police station retained for the West End.
“The commitment by Police Scotland to explore the shared service options does not guarantee a successful outcome of course, but the situation for the police station is looking a whole lot more rosy than it was a few weeks ago.”
The West End Community Council had previously engaged in a fiery debate with Police Scotland over the issue.
At a previous meeting, in which attendees grilled officers about the future of the station, Chief Inspector Gary Ogilvie said the force would not be “dictated to” by the community council, a statement which riled some attendees.
He said: “Police Scotland will not be dictated to about where we put our resources.”
A minute was passed by the community council responding to the chief inspector’s remark, which said: “West End Community Council will not be dictated to by Police Scotland.”
