Fife loses one third of its police stations in a decade

Police chiefs are under fire after it emerged Fife lost more local stations over the last decade than almost anywhere else in Scotland.

Cutbacks led to the closure of more than a third of the region’s operational stations, with seven out of 18 being axed since 2013.

Only the Renfrewshire and Inverclyde division has lost a higher proportion, while more than a third have also closed in the Highlands and Islands.

Across Scotland, our investigation found 84 out of the 340 stations that were “operational and routinely staffed” in 2013 have now been sold or declared surplus to requirements.

In Tayside, six out of the region’s 28 stations have disappeared since 2013.

Where did police stations close?

According to police data, the seven in Fife that are no longer operational are at Anstruther, Cardenden, Kelty, Kennoway, Kincardine High Street, Rosyth and Tay Coast.

Kincardine, Cardenden and Rosyth were put up for sale in 2018 after a review found they were “no longer required”.

One new police office has opened in Fife in the period, at Waid Academy, Anstruther.

Other recent research has suggested the number of buildings closed since Police Scotland was formed is even higher.

We asked specifically for stations that were “operational” in 2013, and were provided with a list of facilities that were not deemed “surplus” at the time.

Fife ‘ill-served’

North East Fife Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie said: “The SNP promised that their centralisation of police services would lead to cost savings.

“As this swiftly proved to be nonsense, the police were forced to make savings elsewhere to get costs down.

“Fewer backroom staff has meant dragging officers off the beat to cover paperwork, while a host of police stations have been closed down.

“Closing these stations has meant officers spending less time in the communities they serve and a loss of on the ground knowledge. Fife has been particularly ill-served.”

Fife Constabulary was one of eight police forces which were controversially merged to form Police Scotland on April 1, 2013.

Old police stations shut

Many of the stations that have closed were considered “old and not fit for purpose”, and some new facilities have opened in their place.

Amid the ongoing spending squeeze, a 2019 strategy set out the aim to “co-locate” with other public services in shared buildings going forward.

But the local breakdown reveals some areas have suffered far more station closures than others.

Police Scotland data shows just one operational station has closed in both Ayrshire and Edinburgh City in the last 10 years, as well as two in Dumfries and Galloway and four in Greater Glasgow.

What did Police Scotland say?

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said Scotland’s policing estate has been built up over the course of several decades and has suffered from a “historic lack of investment under legacy arrangements”.

He said: “Over time, as the communities that we police have changed, the location and the design of our buildings have not.

“Over the years, we have seen an increase in people contacting us either by phone or online, reducing footfall at our stations.

“Equally, the increased focus on collaborative working with partners, and the advent of hybrid working, means that the focus on shared spaces has increased.”

He added: “Reform of policing in Scotland means communities are now served by stronger operational competence and better access to all policing capabilities than would otherwise be the case.”

Budget ‘doubled’

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said that since 2017-18, it had more than doubled the police capital budget.

“While responsibility for the police estate sits with the Scottish Police Authority, Police Scotland’s Estate Strategy prioritises visibility and presence as well as co-location and collaboration to ensure its estate is fit for purpose, alongside other ways to contact Police Scotland including the 101 service and online,” she said.

“Policing is a priority for the Scottish Government and, as set out in the Scottish Budget, policing will receive £1.45 billion in 2023-24.”