Essex Police generates £35m from property sales amid public calls for local presence

Essex Police has generated over £35 million from the sale of its properties since 2016 and intends to divest further assets, even as residents advocate for an increased local police presence. In the last 18 months, six sites have been sold, and the force aims to dispose of an additional five by 2028. Barbara Hollingum of Ongar, whose local police station was sold earlier in the current month, stated to the BBC: “It would be nice to see some sort of presence here.” Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington commented that numerous buildings were of Edwardian construction and were no longer suitable for their intended use. Police stations located in Billericay and South Woodham Ferrers, which commenced operations in 1995, are included in the most recent properties slated for sale. The force’s Stanway traffic officer facility, formerly housing the Police Interceptors program seen on Channel 5, has also been listed for sale with an asking price of £2 million. Stations in Tilbury and South Ockendon have already been sold; the latter was listed for £1 million and has received planning permission for conversion into a gym. The station in Ongar closed in 2011 but was only sold during the current month. Residents have expressed apprehension regarding the absence of police visibility. Mrs. Hollingum stated: “We don’t see any police around. You just want to know that someone is there and if you call them, they come.” Sally Campion, an employee at a local supermarket, further commented: “There’s lots of antisocial behaviour up by the library, and if we saw more police about it might put people off.” In South Ockendon, the shuttered station is situated mere yards from the primary Derwent shopping parade. Paul Morgan remarked: “I was born here and we’ve got some lively youth around here, shall we say, and we absolutely need a base of some sort.” The Labour government has pledged to deploy an additional 13,000 neighbourhood officers by the conclusion of the current Parliament and ensure a contactable police officer is available in every community. Nevertheless, Mr. Harrington has cautioned that he might need to reduce 200 officers and staff positions due to an anticipated £34 million funding deficit in the upcoming financial year. Police properties divested since July 2023: Properties designated for market sale: The force has been reducing its property portfolio for over a decade, initially by closing public-facing counters before commencing the asset disposal procedure. This strategy forms part of an initiative to establish a “modern” and “flexible” police force, with Mr. Harrington referencing investments in urban centers such as Southend and Chelmsford, alongside the construction of a new facility in Dovercourt to supersede the Harwich station. Mr. Harrington further stated: “Police stations don’t catch criminals – cops and police staff do.” He continued: “I think every force would turn round and say all the police stations aren’t in the place you’d have them. They are Edwardian, some are hundreds of years old, and were put in place when policing was very different.” “Where we do close police stations down, that is because operationally they are not necessary.” Mr. Harrington also disclosed certain maintenance expenses associated with maintaining operational stations, such as new cell doors priced at £15,000.