The decision to keep Solihull Police Station in the town centre is excellent news for residents across Meriden and Solihull East. It is a victory for local people who made clear that Solihull needs a visible, accessible police station at the heart of our community.
This proposal, agreed between Solihull Council, West Midlands Police, and the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, would see the police station move from Homer Road to The Priory on Church Hill Road.
Since being elected in 2019, I have consistently campaigned to keep the station in the town centre. This outcome reflects the hard work of local campaigners and Conservative representatives who worked together to secure its future.
Throughout the process, Labour Police and Crime Commissioners failed to provide certainty about the station's future, leaving residents with unnecessary uncertainty over an essential public service.
While securing the building is an important achievement, it must now be matched with the resources needed to deliver effective policing. Residents want more officers on our streets to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour and provide the visible neighbourhood policing our communities deserve.
We must also improve access to policing services across the borough by restoring front desk services in Chelmsley Wood and ensuring our rural communities receive dedicated officers to tackle issues such as rural crime, fly-tipping and theft. At present, Solihull's rural policing team consists of just twelve police constables covering more than 42 square miles. There is no reason as to why the size of this team cannot be doubled.
Keeping Solihull Police Station in the town centre is an important first step, but we must continue working to deliver more officers, better access to services and stronger neighbourhood policing across every part of Solihull.
As your Member of Parliament, I will continue campaigning to ensure our police service is visible, responsive and properly resourced.
