Two years after plans were unveiled to create a new police station at Aberdeenshire Council’s offices in Peterhead the chosen site remains a staff car park.
The idea to leave their current Merchant Street base was discussed by Inspector George Cordiner in 2016, who then described the scheme as a “really exciting, positive proposal”.
He said the station was “no longer fit for service” and said it was having an adverse impact upon frontline services in the town.
Inspector Cordiner suggested an extension to the local authority’s £5 million Buchan House complex was the solution.
A decision on whether the site share should go ahead has, however, still to be made and the chosen site remains empty, except for the cars of council staff.
Councillors on the Buchan area committee held private talks last week about the two-storey extension and its lease in an effort to end the impasse.
Aberdeenshire Council officials have not gone into any specific detail about the nature of their discussions with the police, although they have said they are “continuing positively.”
Buchan area manager Chris White said: “Discussions are continuing positively regarding the possibility of Police Scotland establishing a base at Buchan House in Peterhead.
“There are still some decisions to be made before we can share details publicly.”
Speaking in 2016, Inspector George Cordiner said officers would have to leave their current Merchant Street headquarters as it was “no longer fit for purpose.”
He said: “We don’t comply with equality legislation. That coupled with the fact the building is now a third unoccupied – the office itself is no longer fit for purpose.
“The reality is that we cannot remain in the station – it is not viable and in terms of costs to upgrade, it would be astronomical.”
“The days of having cells in every police office can’t continue. We need to staff them 24/7, which affects frontline services.
“Regardless of where we build in Peterhead there will not be a cell block.”
The new police building would include new offices and parking space for 12 police vehicles but there would not be a custody suite.
Instead, all custodies from the Peterhead area would be transported to a central cell block in Fraserburgh.
The cost of the project has yet to be made public.
Despite repeated requests for comment the police have yet to respond.
