Senior officers have finally given the go-ahead for a north-east police team to move into new facilities.
Plans for Peterhead’s police force to be given a new home were first mooted two years ago when Inspector George Cordiner branded their current station on Merchant Street “no longer fit for service”.
Those plans appeared to have stalled but last night the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) announced an agreement had been reached with the local authority for officers to begin moving into a purpose-built extension to Peterhead’s Buchan House.
The £5 million building, in the heart of the port, is the council’s base of operations in the community and opened in November 2016.
Yesterday, a spokeswoman for the police said a timetable for the move will now begin to be drawn up and that the new base would allow officers to “benefit from the updated infrastructure as well as being able to work alongside partner agencies”.
Assistant Chief Constable John Hawkins, who leads local policing in the north of Scotland said he was “delighted” by the SPA’s decision.
He said: “We acknowledge that Scotland is changing and in order to remain relevant, legitimate and effective, Police Scotland also has to change.
“This move is a sign the service is responsive to the needs of the communities we serve.”
Chief Superintendent Campbell Thomson, the north-east divisional commander, added: “This excellent proposal allows for the project plan and timeline to be developed and finalised over the coming weeks and planning application submitted.
“This move strengthens our commitment to our communities, as we are retaining local police with local knowledge in the heart of our communities.”
The move has also been welcomed by the council itself.
Chief Executive Jim Savege said: “I think people expect public services to work in a joined-up way, making the best use of taxpayers’ money, so where we can work in this way it is what we ought to do.”