Fears that Colwyn Bay and Llandudno police stations could close

Dec 16 2010 by Judith Phillips, North Wales Weekly News

Colwyn Bay Police Station

FEARS that Colwyn Bay and Llandudno police stations could close in a shake-up of policing in North Wales are growing.

North Wales Police Authority is currently carrying out a consultation into proposals to improve efficiency and make cash savings, and they are proposing a number of “response hubs” and a reduction in the number of existing police districts.

One of the response hubs, which it is claimed would enable officers to be deployed to locations within 30 minutes, would be at Colwyn Bay HQ.

And there is also a suggestion the existing central police district which covers the town and parts of Denbighshire could be merged with West Conwy to create one enlarged district which would include both the Bay and Llandudno.

Craig-y-Don county councillor Janet Finch-Saunders is worried that Llandudno’s police station could fall victim to the cuts.

“Llandudno isn’t shown on the map which shows the new policing hubs. That is what concerns me. Llandudno is a large resort and is strategically placed to police a wide area.

“The Assembly has just agreed to invest £50m in the hospital which shows how important the town is in terms of its position in the wider community, and it needs to be properly policed,” she said.

As chairman of the council’s principal scrutiny committee she has placed the issue on the agenda for its January 10 meeting.

“I urge members of the public who have concerns to make their views known to us and come and hear the debate,” she added.

Full details can be found on the website www.nwalespa.org

It says: “We hope the structural changes we are contemplating will be effective, but we need to be honest, and recognise that if we lose one in seven police officers and a quarter of police staff, the service we provide to the public is going to suffer..”