Rother Valley MP calls on South Yorkshire PCC to ‘reopen’ police station - which closed 20 years ago

Mr Stafford, Conservative MP for Rother Valley, has launched a petition calling on Dr Alan Billings, the PCC, to ‘reopen’ Dinnington’s police station and create a public enquiry desk on Maltby’s High Street.

In the petition, Mr Stafford said areas in Rother Valley have been ‘blighted’ by crime, and the old police station could help fight rising crime rates.

Mr Stafford said: “I have asked the commissioner to consider police bases in Rother Valley time and time again and the response I get is always there is not enough funding.

“I don’t buy this. If there is not enough funding, why did the PCC hand back £2 million in unspent funding last year? That money could have been invested in Rother Valley, making our communities safer.”

However, Labour’s Dr Billings said the old Dinnington police station, which closed 20 years ago due to ‘little’ use, was sold in 2020, meaning it cannot be reopened as requested.

He also addressed the £2m underspend, which was put down to a pension deficit, unspent Covid grant funding and staff vacancies.

Dr Billings said: “The money from the building sale and savings on running costs have contributed towards restoring police officer numbers, which fell by 500 in South Yorkshire as a result of Conservative government cuts between 2010 and 2020.

“We are now in the process of restoring neighbourhood teams in Dinnington and Maltby and bolstering police numbers in response teams.

“A new police station in Dinnington would cost a great deal of money to build and more to staff, equip, maintain and run.

“Due to years of underfunding of police by the Conservative government and rising costs of inflation, we do not have the funds to open, staff and maintain new premises.

“Mr Stafford keeps referring to £2m of underspending. Each month I receive a report on how the budget is working out and any projected underspend or overspend.

“These reports allow me and the force to adjust spending as the year progresses. This £2m was an estimated figure in one report and in part the result of some additional one-off funding and spending slipping from one year to the next.

“If Mr Stafford would really like to help the police and residents, I invite him to join me in making representations to his Government to give us a tax freeze grant.

“This would enable me to balance the budget next year without having to call on taxpayers for more money.”

To view Mr Stafford’s petition, visit: https://signup.backourcampaign.co.uk/rother-valley-police-stations.