RESIDENTS are to be consulted over plans to sell off a village police station building.

Cheshire Police says it has launched a consultation in relation to the proposed sale of three police buildings – Winsford, Middlewich, and Lymm.

Under the proposals put forward by the force, three former stations will be sold, with all of the money saved set to be reinvested into front-line policing.

The proposals come as part of the force’s current estates strategy, which ‘aims to ensure that Cheshire has fit-for-purpose facilities which are required to deliver effective operational policing’.

The Lymm Police Station building, on Dane Bank Road, is one of the three, along with police buildings on Collingham Way in Winsford and Queen Street in Middlewich.

Cheshire Police says that the buildings have no public help desks and are not used as working stations, meaning the proposals will not have any impact on local policing.

Officers will continue to host their community meetings at bases in the three areas.

The force says it is estimated the proposals will save approximately £109,000 per year in maintenance and utilities costs.

A Cheshire Police spokesman said: “Firstly, I would like to reassure residents these proposals will have no impact on day-to-day policing in our communities.

“Over the past 30 years, the way we police has changed greatly, and the buildings we are looking to sell are no longer fit for purpose.

“None of the buildings are currently used as working stations, meaning that their sale will have no impact on response times for officers attending incidents.

“The buildings do not have public help desks, and while Winsford and Middlewich do have contact points outside the premises, these are used very rarely, with most residents now preferring to report incidents online or via telephone.

“We believe that the sale of the three buildings will save more than £100,000 per year, which I am sure the majority of residents will agree will be better spent on front-line policing.”

The public consultation launches today, Friday, and will run for 28 days until midday on Friday, November 15.

To provide your feedback on the proposals, visit surveymonkey.com/r/CC_Building_consultation_2024