Washington Police Station is set to be put up for sale, but force bosses have maintained that a “policing presence” will remain in the area.
Northumbria Police has confirmed that the police station near The Galleries shopping centre is “no longer fit for purpose” and would need “considerable investment” to continue as a police station.
It is understood that the Washington site is to be put up for sale as part of the police force’s wider estates strategy, and that local councillors have asked questions about potential staffing implications.
When approached for comment, Northumbria Police confirmed “there will still be a policing presence within Washington”.
Police bosses added neighbourhood police would remain in Washington and that the force would be “seeking alternative opportunities to co-locate within the area”.
A spokesperson for Northumbria Police said: “Washington Police Station is an old building which is no longer fit for purpose and would require considerable investment if we were to retain the site.
“It is important that we are providing our communities with value for money and we want to direct the resources we do have available into operational policing to keep our communities safe.
“We will therefore be putting the site up for sale”.
The police statement added: “The premises are not open to the public and have not been for a number of years.
“We want to reassure our communities that there will still be a policing presence within Washington and we are seeking alternative opportunities to co-locate within the area.
“This would see the Neighbourhood Policing Team currently based within the building remain in Washington.
“We are committed to providing a proactive policing service to the communities of Washington and being there when people need us.”
Washington Police Station’s future was raised earlier this week on 18 September by Conservative councillor Lyall Reed at a meeting of Sunderland City Council.
Cllr Reed asked what “representations” the council had made to the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, or to Northumbria Police, in respect of the planned sale.
He also asked if the council had been “involved in any discussions about the sale or purchase of this land”.
Councillor Kelly Chequer, deputy leader of Sunderland City Council, confirmed the council had been notified about Northumbria Police’s intention to sell Washington Police Station.
She said this was following a review of the force’s estates strategy and that the city council would make representations about any changes to police jobs as a result of the move.
Cllr Chequer said: “The council have been made aware that Northumbria Police intend to dispose of the Washington Police Station.
“This decision has been made by Northumbria Police following their review of their estates strategy, the council are in dialogue with Northumbria Police about their future property requirements”.
Conservative Cllr Lyall Reed also asked for a commitment that the council would do everything it could to “keep police jobs within Sunderland and Washington”.
The council’s Labour deputy leader Cllr Chequer, responding, said: “Clearly that’s something that’s not within our control but I’m happy to make those representations.
“The Washington councillors have already approached me on that matter and I have made that commitment to them previously”.
Northumbria Police operates from several sites in the Sunderland City Council area, including Southwick and several multi-agency hubs.
The planned sale of Washington Police Station follows the closure of several police stations on Wearside in recent years.
The Farringdon Hall Police Station, off Durham Road, closed in 2015 due to budget cuts and sat vacant for years attracting anti-social behaviour, but was recently demolished to make way for a retail park.
The Gilbridge Police Station in Sunderland city centre, which was built in the 1970s as Sunderland’s main police station, had also sat empty for a similar period of time.
However, the site was recently given a new lease of life after being refurbished and rebranded as ‘The Yard’ offering multi-purpose office space for businesses.
