Police Station on Scottie
The new Merseyside Police headquarters recently marked the end of its main construction phase, but residents have mixed feelings about the £48m project.
Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Jane Kennedy and Chief Constable Andy Cooke signed the last piece of steel before it was installed at a “topping out” ceremony earlier this month.
Construction at the Scotland Road site began in September 2019 and has continued apace despite the global Coronavirus pandemic, with social distancing practices being implemented by construction firm Willmott Dixon.
Kennedy said: “What an achievement! Last September, the Chief Constable and I were here to ‘turn the first sod’ on what was a large muddy field but in a fantastic location, looking down over Liverpool city centre and the River Mersey.
“Less than nine months on and in spite of the complications thrown up by Covid-19, this impressive structure has come to life, acting as a proud guardian over this key gateway into the city. We are now a major step closer towards the completion of a brand new, much-needed Headquarters for Merseyside Police.
“It is also great news for local people, knowing that it will help breathe new life into their area.”
However, not all residents were impressed by the major milestone — one local, Kennedy Lacy, questioned the loss of green space as the new state-of-the-art station will take up more than 12,800m of land.
“Scottie Road has lost too much green space over these past few years and now a big chunk of it has been taken over by police,” she said.
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“Scottie Road has lost too much green space over these past few years and now a big chunk of it has been taken over by police,” she said.
Another local, Neve Farrelly, argued that placing the HQ in the heart of Scotland Road only adds to negative stereotypes about the area.
“I don’t understand why they [Merseyside Police] would put their headquarters here, wouldn’t it make sense to put it in the city centre?” she asked.
“It just feels like this area is always singled out and it just adds to this stereotype of Scottie being a rough area, when in reality it couldn’t be further from the truth.
“We already have SAS (St. Anne’s Station), we don’t need more police in the area.”
Jane Kennedy and Chief Constable Andy Cooke signatures on the last piece of steel
The decision to have Scotland Road as the new home of Merseyside Police HQ was made after Merseyside’s five local authorities identified 13 potential sites.
When assessed and scored alongside an additional 31 privately-owned sites, a top five were identified and evaluated in more detail. It was eventually decided Scotland Road was the best possible alternative to Canning Place, the current home of Merseyside Police HQ.
Other residents welcomed the project and say it will have a positive impact on the area.
Student Jordan Carlin says that, having moved to Scotland Road two years ago during his first year of university, he felt as if the streets needed more police presence.
“Sometimes it can be scary walking the shops of a night,” he said.
“Maybe it’s because I’m not a scouser and I haven’t grown up around here, so I don’t know as many people. But I think having the police headquarters on my doorstep will make me feel much safer.”
Another resident, Kyle Duffell, says the headquarters is bringing much needed regeneration to an area that has long been forgotten.
“Let’s be honest,” he said, “the site where the headquarters will go has not been used for decades. I understand why police would want to use that site — and at least they are using it instead of letting it go to waste.
“It’s only making our area and city a safer place to live, so I don’t see the problem.”
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