Full steam ahead at Ainsdale Railway Police Station

It’s full steam ahead for Sefton’s second Community Police Station as it officially opened its doors in Ainsdale Railway Station last week.

Above: Haydn Preece

Former Ainsdale Councillor Haydn Preece reflected:

“Sometimes everything just comes together and our new Ainsdale Community Police Hub was a case in point. Timing and great teamwork through a number of agencies resulted in us now having a police base in Ainsdale. I recognise Community Police Hubs aren’t the traditional police stations of old but they give us more contact time than we had before and an identified permanent base.”

Haydn added:

“Our Ainsdale Police Station had been closed for some time and our village needed a base for a Community Police Hub. With the new Ainsdale Station being proposed I was able to communicate with Merseyrail officials and Police Commissioner Jane Kennedy. Both Merseyrail and Jane Kennedy were favourable to my vision of an Ainsdale Community Police Hub being based at the new station platform. Corporation and vision sharing was essential and very evident throughout. Merseyrail’s commitment to contributing to community projects enabled the Police Hub to get the go-ahead while Jane Kennedy was successful in seeking vital funding. Special thanks should go to lead architect Will Barralet who redrafted his design to incorporate the Police Hub area and also took on board the public consultations for the final design we see and enjoy today.”

The Community Police Station is designed as a location for officers and PCSOs from Southport’s Local Merseyside Policing Team to hold local surgeries and meetings and be more accessible to people living in and visiting Ainsdale village. Community Police Stations are part of the Police Commissioner, Jane Kennedy’s 10-year strategy to update the Force’s ageing estate and save money to the frontline.

The proposal to co-locate the new Community Police Station in the train station was first raised with the Commissioner by Ainsdale councillors in 2015. Since then, Merseyrail has agreed to house the new station free of charge within the railway station as part of its Corporate Responsibility Programme, meaning there are no costs to Merseyside Police for relocating to the site or on-going rent charges. Work began on site in March 2017.

On Tuesday 28th May the Commissioner was joined by Merseyside Police’s Superintendent Graeme Robson, Local Policing Inspector Graham Fisher, Ainsdale ward councillors, representatives from Sefton Council and Merseyrail to officially declare the station open for business. The first local police surgery was held on Friday 31st May.

The initial times of regular police surgeries at the Community Police Station is:

FRIDAYS 1:00PM – 3:00PM

The Community Police station will be utilised at other times for other events/meetings which will be advertised in advance.