- Cost of Police Station and Magistrates Court re-vamp nearly double first estimate
- Neither building has had any major investment for a substantial period of time and is in a far worse state of repair than first thought
- Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl has no plans to sell-up and move out
- Surl said, “I am still committed to a strong police presence in the centre of Stroud, and that means having a police station in the town”
Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl is to revise his plans for the re-development of Stroud Police Station and Magistrates Court – but remains committed to a strong police presence in the centre of the Town.
Stroud Magistrates Court closed in 2016 and an in-depth survey has revealed the escalating cost of making the building habitable again.
The backlog of maintenance costs would include a new heating system throughout; replacement UPVC windows and re-cabling of electrical services. Instead of costing around £1-£2m to bring it up to spec, it is estimated the bill would be closer to £5m.
Mr. Surl said, “Neither the police station nor the magistrates’ court has had any major investment for a substantial period of time and is in a far worse state of repair than we were led to believe.
“The cost of redeveloping the building along the lines I had in mind originally, cannot be justified in the current climate.
“I am still committed to a strong police presence in the centre of Stroud, which means a police station in the town.
“There are a number of ways we can achieve that but more work needs to be done before we decide the best option.
“In the meantime, we will maintain our existing estate and continue discussions with partners as we consider our next move”.
