Tayside’s top officer has vowed police numbers will not be cut when the doors close on Forfar’s town centre HQ.
And Tayside Divisional Commander Nicky Russell said she is “absolutely dedicated” to keeping a local presence as the force analyses local feedback over plans to move.
Last month, Police Scotland said the West High Street building was no longer fit for purpose.
Long-standing structural issues have left it too costly to repair.
During Storm Frank in 2015 thousands of litres of water had to be pumped from the basement.
At that time a £1.5 million estimate was put on repairs.
More recent severe weather incidents have not helped the situation.
So upgrading West High Street is not considered cost-effective.
William Wallace House proposal
The relocation plan could involve a move to William Wallace House at Orchardbank.
It was highlighted as an option in the month-long public consultation which closed this week.
The property is part of Angus Council’s campus, where the authority’s Angus House headquarters is also going up for sale.
On Tuesday, Chief Superintendent Russell said the public would receive full details of the local responses.
Around 100 comments had been made shortly before the consultation ended.
She told Angus scrutiny committee councillors: “Our motivation in respect of this proposal stems from the fact that our current premises are now old, in a poor state of repair and not consistent with our national and local estates strategies.
“We remain absolutely dedicated to maintaining and developing our local service delivery.”
Ch Supt Russell said that would be “through retaining a station in Forfar, and retaining all of the current local teams and officers within their current roles.
“However, we do need to ensure the environment we provide for our officers is modern, fit for purpose and a sustainable base.
“We have been transparent about the fact we have advanced work in respect of the potential to re-locate to William Wallace House.
“In including that potential location within the consultation documents we hoped to ensure community members were provided with as much current information as possible, to help them reach a well-informed view.”
“There will be a full report provided with full analysis on our engagement hub,” she said.
But she added: “It’s slightly too early to comment on what that analysis will tell us.”
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