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11
Mar
Call for re-think as plans for police drop-in office in Ripon are abandoned
Ripon City Council's leader has called on York and North Yorkshire's Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime to re-think a decision to abandon plans to open a drop-in police office at Ripon Town Hall.
A statement issued by Jo Coles, Labour deputy mayor, said the recent investment in the police and fire station in Ripon meant the arrangement was no longer required.
Ms Coles said:
The opening of the brilliant new police and fire station in Ripon has provided the opportunity to assess the facilities we have available for our neighbourhood policing teams in the city.
As a result of the £926,000 investment in the new joint facility, we have decided to exit from the temporary arrangement with North Yorkshire Council to utilise space in Ripon Town Hall.
All policing services are fully provided for at the new joint police and fire station and the space in the Town Hall is no longer needed.
The official opening of Ripon's newly-refurbished police and station took place last week.
Ms Coles added:
It is my responsibility to ensure that public money is spent effectively and this now enables resources to be prioritised into neighbourhood policing.
I want to thank North Yorkshire Council for allowing us to use the space in the Town Hall.
But Cllr Andrew Williams, leader of Ripon City Council and member of the Conservative and Independent's Group on North Yorkshire Council, told the Stray Ferret that the move was taken without consultation with the council.
He told the Stray Ferret:
This is a retrograde step which has been taken without any consultation with the city council and I call on the deputy mayor to re-think her decision and listen to what local elected members have to say.
There has always been strong support for this much-needed drop-in facility, which members of the public would be able to visit discreetly to seek advice from the police, or report criminal activity.
The town hall, with its nearby car parks and bus station is readily accessible, while the police station on Stonebridgegate has only limited car parking for the public.
This is something that former Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe recognised when she announced in February 2023, plans for the refurbishment of the police and fire station that has now been carried out.
She said at the time that is would become an additional site to Ripon’s main police and fire station and would help in the fight against crime in the city.
Though the ground floor office at the town hall has been available and rent has been paid for it since April 2024, no effort has been made to take up this space.
Cllr Wiliams added that the decision to abandon plans to open the drop-in office will be on the agenda for the full city council meeting on April 7.
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