By Gemma Fraser
Head of content
Just two per cent of Scottish police stations have been rated as being in good condition, according to the force’s own building surveys.
The condition reports also reveal that 11 per cent of the police estate has been rated ‘poor’, meaning the buildings are showing major defects or are not operating adequately.
Police Scotland has been accused of using “sticking plasters” to patch up stations for years, instead of investing the money needed to bring them up to standard.
But the force said its 10-year estates masterplan will make “long-term tangible improvements” to benefit officers, staff and communities.
David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said the force has “never properly funded” the estate, resulting in buildings becoming so dilapidated that the cost to bring them back up to standard was deemed too high.
“They’ve been using sticking plasters for years and failing to invest properly in the first place,” he said.
“The state of the buildings then made it easier for them to just close police stations. It’s as if that was the plan all along.
“The number of police stations has shrunk by nearly 200, but we still have a huge problem.”
As 1919 previously revealed, 180 police buildings have been lost since the creation of the single force in 2013.
According to figures released via freedom of information laws, all 13 local policing divisions in Scotland need repairs at a total cost of £231 million.
Police Scotland spokesperson
The Greater Glasgow G Division has the largest maintenance bill attached to it, sitting at £46.5 million.
A total of 168 stations need repairs, with N Division – which covers the Highlands and Islands – sitting at the top of the chart with 26 stations listed.
Five out of 243 stations assessed were ranked as ‘good’, defined as performing well and operating effectively, while 158 were ranked ‘satisfactory’, meaning they are performing adequately but showing minor deterioration.
At the lowest end of the survey reports, 27 stations were ranked as ‘poor’, meaning they were showing major defects or not operating adequately.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Work under the Police Scotland Estates Masterplan is ongoing.
“The 10-year programme will create an estate that best serves our communities and helps us improve employee welfare and wellbeing facilities, contributing to our long-term vision for policing in Scotland.
“Upgrade work is currently being carried out on a significant number of our buildings across the country to enhance facilities for our officers and staff.
“Work on remaining buildings will continue over the next few years to ensure that officers have access to modern station facilities across the country.
“Longer-term research and planning is also underway to look at the future of our estate in Glasgow/the West, Dundee/Tayside and at Fettes in Edinburgh (main image).
“The masterplan will make long-term tangible improvements to our estate for the benefit of our officers, staff and communities.”