Row over bus stop blocking police 999 exit in Plymouth
POLICE and council chiefs have become entangled in a row over a bus stop outside the new Devonport police station.
The £3.3million station at the junction of Chapel Street and Fore Street has already courted controversy from locals who have bitterly complained the station was not open to the public.
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The bus stop in Fore Street directly outside the new Devonport police station
The three-storey building replaced the cramped Marlborough Street station and opened in October last year. At the time it was set to be the home to the neighbourhood policing team as well as the Devonport and West Local Investigation Team, which had been temporarily based at Charles Cross Police Station.
However, following cutbacks, Devon and Cornwall Police decided to move a section of its response officers from their former base at Plympton Police Station to the new Devonport station.
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As a result, the force has now found a bus stop parked just feet from its main car park gates to be problematic.
A spokesman for the force said the location of the bus stop – which has existed long before the station was built – was "not ideal".
He said the force had petitioned Plymouth City Council to find a working solution.
The police spokesman warned: "There is the potential for the exit and rapid deployment of a police unit to be temporarily hindered.
"We have been in contact with our partners at the council to discuss the possibility of moving the bus stop. We are hopeful that in the not-too-distant future we are able to reach a mutually satisfactory solution."
However, council chiefs have said the Devon and Cornwall Police Authority – which made the initial planning application but has now been disbanded – was fully aware of the location of the bus stop and at that time raised no concerns. A council spokesman said: "They were happy to proceed with building their site with the bus stop being retained in its current position. We have since received correspondence from the police enquiring about the possibility of moving the bus stop.
"Due to the existing on-street parking used by residents and businesses, which is already limited, there are no possible options for a new location.
"Due to the frequency that this bus stop is used, and the length of time it takes to drop off or pick up passengers, the likelihood of a conflict between buses parked at the stop and emergency vehicles leaving the police station under blue-light conditions would be minimal. We have received no complaints regarding this."
32 Comments
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by GAWker
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 9:00PM
“If the bus stop is moved to accommodate the requirements of the police, will the bus stop be reinstated if this response team from Plympton are moved back to Plympton or another police station within the city?
'Cutbacks'? Those were known about before the construction of these new premises were started, so it's not as though they weren't known about before.
The police are being like townies that move to the countryside and then complain about the noise made by wildlife, church bells, farmers, farm stock and marksmen?
It's like the people of Southway, Glenholt and Estover that complained about the noise made by aircraft movements when the airport was there first and far more noise pollution was emitted by modified cars with their drain pipe sized exhausts and K&N air filters.”
by Jenn11
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 2:20PM
“So because the police decided to change the use they've discovered a problem! Should have submitted the appropriate papers and requests before bringing in additional officers and change its use should we???? Well thats what any member of the public would have been told now we're going to have discussions and bus stop movements that are costly and huge amount of bad feeling for the neighbourhood - Thanks Law enforcing officers.”
by GAWker
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 5:44AM
“I'm not sure if that photo caption is correct or impartial Herald?
** The bus stop in Fore Street directly outside the new Devonport police station **
Shouldn't that read:
Entrance to new police station built behind long established bus stop?
Good job you're just writing newspaper content and not police statements eh?
Given the site and the footprint of the building couldn't it have been constructed to allow vehicular access at another part of the boundary and not onto the bus stop?
How many disabled people have been refused a drop kerb by the Council to allow vehicles parking on their frontage due to the road or other issues with the road they want to use to access their property?
It reads like another Herald article that's light on the facts and could be seen to be an advertorial. Some people pay for your paper you know so some facts and rigour could be seen to be giving customers value for money as well as just giving them the unbiassed truth.”
by fazer58
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 1:55AM
“Bodmin Police Station cost 8 million and dosn't have any cells.Members of the Public have to make an appointment,not necessarily granted,from a small office in the Town Centre,which is open on normal office hours.
Not the Police's fault,it's the idiots supposedly in charge.”
by fazer58
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 1:53AM
“They knew all about the Bus Stop,part 2 of the cutbacks will see the Police using the buses to answer 999 calls.”
by angryrant
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 11:21PM
“i suppose someone got an award or promotion for designing this junction. ill thought out, not needed, waste of money. the mini roundabouts worked perfectly well with no hold up's. just look at it now. anyway. And why was money wasted on this brand new building. austerity??? you wouldn't think so. the police don't want to be bothered anyway hence an appointment system to put people off reporting anything. better they were out on the beat solving proper crime than worrying about a bus stop.”
by Watawally
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 10:39PM
“Why bother making the news on a bus stop blocking the police 999 exit for?
The police are useless anyway!”
by Watawally
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 10:38PM
“Why bother making the news on a bus stop blocking the police 999 exit for?
The police are useless anyway!”
by jabbathebutt
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 10:33PM
“The same "police station" you have to ring up to make an appointment for in an emergency .”
by jboy66
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 7:30PM
“And just ahead of that farce is a greater one. A junction we would all flow through stress free using a mini roundabout, now replaced with 4 way lights. Was the reasoning behind that, that there is a new housing estate on the junction - in which one car per hour exits from.!!”