Inside Police Scotland's 'staggering' maintenance backlog
Scottish Tories say officers are working in buildings that are not fit for purpose
The amount of maintenance work required across Police Scotland’s built estate has reached the “staggering” sum of more than £230 million, raising concerns about officers having to work in “crumbling conditions”.
Figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives show the nine-figure bill is impacting the force’s buildings up and down the country, although its divisions in the Central Belt and the south of Scotland face some of the steepest bills.
In all, the nationwide maintenance backlog costs stand at more than £231,605,000, with the party warning “overwhelmed” officers are having to work in buildings that are not fit for purpose.
The figures, released via Freedom of Information legislation, show division G, spanning the Greater Glasgow area, has the highest level of outstanding maintenance work required, with a bill of over £46.5m.
It is followed by division Q, which covers Lanarkshire, where the bill is £33.6m. Division C, an area covering Forth Valley, has a maintenance backlog of £27.6m, while the figure in division J, taking in the Lothians and Scottish Borders, is £10.8m.
Scottish Conservative shadow community safety minister Sharon Dowey said: “The SNP’s sustained neglect of frontline policing has resulted in this truly staggering maintenance backlog. It’s appalling that already overwhelmed Police Scotland officers are being forced to work in crumbling conditions. This is unsafe and can’t be allowed to continue.
“This is a Scotland-wide problem, but the neglect seems particularly acute in the south of the country. This is not just affecting staff morale – it can impact the ability of officers to safely police their community.”
The south of Scotland MSP added: These conditions are unsustainable, unfair and, coupled with dangerously low officer numbers, highlight SNP ministers’ contempt for our dedicated police force.
“Instead of continually undermining community safety, the nationalists must provide Police Scotland with the resources needed to keep the public safe.”
David Kennedy, the Scottish Police Federation's general secretary said It had been warning for years about the "serious disrepair" of the police estate.
"Our members routinely work in stations with leaking roofs, outdated electrical systems and inadequate facilities," he said.
"This is not just a matter of comfort, it directly affects officer welfare, public access to policing services and, in some cases, operational safety."The maintenance backlog now approaching a quarter of a billion pounds did not appear overnight. It is the product of a prolonged and sustained squeeze on the policing budget. Without immediate and long-term investment, the situation will only worsen and the cost to the public purse will grow."
Police Scotland said its estates masterplan - a decade-long programme to create an estate that best serves its communities and helps improve employee welfare and wellbeing - was endorsed by the Scottish Police Authority in November last year. The force said by the end of this financial year, upgrade work will have been carried out on a “significant number” of its buildings.
“This programme of upgrade work will continue over the coming years to ensure that officers have access to the same standard of station facilities across the country,” a statement said.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We support Police Scotland’s commitment to providing a safe environment for officers, staff and the public. While decisions around police stations are operational matters for the chief constable, we have more than tripled the policing capital budget since 2017/18 and we are investing a record £1.64 billion for policing this year.
“This includes £70m of capital funding to invest in resources and estates. That will support Police Scotland to commence delivery of its estates master plan, which will deliver a modern, fit-for-purpose estate that serves the needs of the workforce and our communities.”