Former police station on the market to raise money for force equipment

Last Updated: 02-12-2021 at 09:12

A former police station in Lincoln is to go on the market to raise money for investment in new equipment for the force.

West Parade station became obsolete when the new Ambulance, Fire and Police Station opened on South Park Avenue in 2019.

Initially the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones had hoped to find a use which could have a positive economic or social impact on the city.

But after months working with Investors in Lincoln to examine a host of different projects it became clear that the impact of lockdown in the economy had scuppered plans to develop the site with partners.

So the PCC has now pushed forward with plans to sell the building and pump the proceeds back into the policing budgets.

The revenue gained will come in capital receipts and so can only be spent on equipment such as new vehicles, drones and radios or on other police buildings.

But the PCC has pledged it will be invested in keeping communities safe.

“I had really hoped we could find an innovative way forward for the building and working with private and public sector partners we investigated a range of possibilities from low cost housing for front line workers to business start up space,” said Mr Jones.

“But the Covid pandemic not only delayed things it also started to impact the cost of potential options and I was becoming increasingly concerned that the building would lay empty for too long.

“I’ve done my best to explore every possible option but it looks as if the best route is to sell the building on the open market.

“That does mean we can raise valuable funds and invest them in our work to keep communities and residents safe.”

West Parade, dubbed the Ryvita Building by locals was constructed in January 1973 before Lincolnshire Police moved in in the mid 1970s.

The station closed in November 2019.