Scotland's crumbling police stations face £232 million repair backlog
Backlog across Police Scotland's estate, led by Greater Glasgow, prompts renewed scrutiny of funding and maintenance, as union and government officials weigh safety and staffing implications.
The cost to repair Police Scotland’s crumbling estate has risen to roughly £232 million, with new figures compiled by Scottish Conservative investigators detailing a sprawling maintenance backlog across the force’s buildings and stations. The worst backlog is in the Greater Glasgow division, where upgrades are projected to cost about £46.5 million. Overall, the bill to fix all outstanding issues across Scotland now stands at about £231.6 million, a figure described by officials as unsustainable for modern policing. A report presented to the Scottish Police Authority last year described the police estate as unsustainable and not fit for contemporary policing.
“ The SNP’s sustained neglect has resulted in this truly staggering backlog,” said Sharon Dowey, Scottish Conservative community safety spokeswoman. “It’s appalling that already overwhelmed Police Scotland officers are being forced to work in crumbling conditions. This is unsafe and can’t continue. This is not just affecting staff morale – it can have an impact on the ability of officers to safely police their community.” Dowey added that the conditions are unsustainable and, coupled with dangerously low officer numbers, highlight ministers’ contempt for our police force.
The estimated retrofit costs include the removal of RAAC, a collapse-prone concrete used in some older facilities. The price tag for removing RAAC from Police Scotland’s former Fettes headquarters in Edinburgh was put at around £4 million. The Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, says Greenock police station requires significant investment to bring it up to scratch.
As of mid-July, 183 Scottish police stations were identified as needing repairs, with asbestos found in 177 of them. In 2023 it emerged that several police buildings had been constructed with RAAC. The Federation notes that the RAAC remediation and other maintenance costs have risen alongside hundreds of closures over the past decade. In addition, about 140 police stations and nearly 100 police counters have closed between 2013 and 2023. Earlier this year, David Threadgold, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, warned ministers of policing deserts in some areas, saying station closures and the pressures on officers had created “an almost invisible policing presence, providing an utterly reactive service.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said the government supports Police Scotland’s commitment to providing a safe environment for officers, staff and the public. Police Scotland has stated that a significant number of buildings will have been upgraded by the end of the current financial year.