Forfar police HQ may be closed and officers relocated

The current building is considered too expensive to repair.

By Stephen Eighteen

July 29 2024, 1:15pm

Forfar's police headquarters in West High Street Image: Google Street View

Forfar’s police HQ could be closed and officers relocated to another location.

Police Scotland is consulting on a plan to shut the existing base in West High Street and move staff to another building in Forfar.

Officers could relocate to Angus Council-owned William Wallace House in the Orchardbank Business Park.

Forfar police HQ has ‘significant structural damage’

Police Scotland says the existing police station in Forfar is in bad condition due to long-term building issues and recent storm damage.

Tayside Division’s support Superintendent Suzanne Smith said: “The building has sustained significant structural damage, which would incur significant costs to repair.”

Police officers could move to William Wallace House.

She added: “Our understanding and view is that making the necessary improvements would not be cost-effective or a good use of public money in the long term.

“We are therefore looking to consult with the public on proposals to relocate the local policing team to alternative premises within the Forfar area and then dispose of the current building.

“Our main proposal is to relocate to William Wallace House, in Orchardbank Business Park, which is a more modern and fit-for-purpose building.”

Police Scotland says there would be ‘no change’ to delivery of policing

Ms Smith added that co-location with other agencies fits with Police Scotland’s national estates strategy.

She continued: “I realise how important access to policing services is to local communities and how a physical police presence can bring reassurance and confidence to communities.

“If our proposals go ahead, there would be no change to the delivery of policing services and there would be no changes to the local policing team.

“Police Scotland is looking to dispose of underutilised stations in certain areas of Scotland, but that is not the case in Forfar.

“We are committed to remaining within the area and continuing to provide a service to the Forfar and wider Angus communities.”

St Margaret’s House idea touted in 2018

The idea to move police officers from West High Street was most recently raised in 2018, when St Margaret’s House was touted for an office arrangement with Angus Council.

Back then, Police Scotland cited a repair bill of around £1.5 million to bring the sprawling headquarters up to scratch.

There were major concerns about the state of its roof, which at the height of Storm Frank’s 2015 deluge saw 100 litres of water being pumped from the basement every 10 minutes.