POLICE buildings in Halesowen, Oldbury, Brierley Hill and Dudley are amongst more than 20 which will be axed in a major cost-cutting estates programme.

West Midlands Police chiefs have approved plans they say will save £5 million a year and fund £24 million of repairs needed to ageing police buildings.

In Dudley stations in Halesowen and Brierley Hill will be axed as well as buildings in St James' Road, Dudley.

Plans state the station in Bank Street, Brierley Hill is set to go in Autumn 2024 and will be replaced by the new Dudley 'super station' in Hall Street which will house neighbourhood teams, a public contact office and force response teams who go out to 999 calls.

Work has not yet started on the new station, which is set to open around Spring 2023.

The document states local Brierley Hill neighbourhood teams will "co-locate locally."

Bases in St James' Road, Dudley, will be axed around Autumn 2024 and will be replaced by the super station with neighbourhood teams currently at St James' Road moving here.

The station in Laurel Lane, Halesowen, will be sold off some time after Spring 2025 with neighbourhood teams "relocating locally."

Halesowen News:

Brierley Hill station will go. Pic: Google

In Sandwell five buildings will be sold off including the Oldbury station on Oldbury Ringway which will be disposed of after summer 2024 with neighbourhood teams relocating locally and forensic services "relocating."

Force response units which respond to 999 calls will be located in eight hubs, including Dudley, Wolverhampton and Bloxwich and a new custody hub will be built in Coventry.

The force said the plans are the Chief Constable Sir David Thompson's "assessment of what West Midlands Police needs in order to provide an efficient and effective operational police service" and "will ensure neighbourhood police officers continue to be based in local communities."

They have now been approved by the region's Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster.

Mr Foster said: “The plans the Chief Constable has put forward will maintain the current number of publicly accessible front desks, keep local officers based in their communities and modernise the estate to make it fit for a 21st century police force.

“These plans will save money too, which will be re-invested in protecting essential police officer numbers to keep people and their families safe and secure.

"100 officer posts a year rely on the £5 million savings from the estates programme. Without those savings officer numbers will fall further.

“Since 2010 West Midlands Police has lost £175 million, and even after recent and planned increases in officer numbers, we will still be missing 1,000 officers compared to a decade ago.

"I will protect police officer numbers, whilst calling on the government to return our 1,000 missing officers and provide a fair funding deal for the West Midlands.”

Halesowen News:

Oldbury Police Station will be axed. Pic: Google

Stations in Birmingham to go include the old lock up on Steelhouse Lane, which is being transformed into a heritage centre and museum.

An empty police building in Quinton will be sold some time after spring 2022.

Closures in Dudley:

Brierley Hill (Autumn 2024)

Dudley St James's Road NHT (Autumn 2024)

Halesowen NHT (Spring 2025)

Closures in Sandwell:

Oldbury (Summer 2024)

Smethwick (Spring 2025)

Tipton (Autumn 2025)

Wednesbury (Summer 2023)

Windmill House, Smethwick (TBC)