New Bath police station formally launched after years of campaigning
The Monmouth Street base brings policing teams and the public enquiry office under one roof
A new police station in the centre of Bath has been formally launched, years after campaigners called for a permanent policing base in the city.
Liberal Democrat MP for Bath Wera Hobhouse visited the station on Monmouth Street on 15th October for its formal launch.
She joined Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Clare Moody, Chief Constable Sarah Crew, other local policing teams and community representatives.
They toured the facilities and discussed policing priorities for Bath.
What the new station offers
The Bath Police Enquiry Office has moved from Lewis House on Manvers Street to the new site.
The station opened to the public in August.
It brings Neighbourhood and Patrol policing teams together with the public enquiry office under one roof.
It replaces the existing police bases at Redbridge House on Lower Bristol Road and the One Stop Shop in Lewis House on Manvers Street.
The Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner bought the former Plymouth House office building in 2023.
The launch marks the completion of the major refurbishment of that building.
The station's central location puts officers close to the communities they serve, according to details released about the launch.
The same details say it supports the policing of a busy city centre, including its hospitality and retail economy.
The campaign for a city-centre station
Bath's former police station closed in 2015.
Hobhouse launched a petition in 2018 calling for a proper city-centre police station.
According to her office, the campaign attracted thousands of signatures.
Reaction
Hobhouse said:
"When Bath's old police station closed over a decade ago, residents were clear that our city needed a proper replacement. I've been making that case for years, alongside thousands of local people who supported my campaign."
Hobhouse said:
"It's fantastic to finally see a dedicated police station back in the heart of Bath. Having officers based in the city centre, accessible to the communities they serve, is an important step towards making our city safer. And I'm thrilled that Chief Constable Sarah Crew and her teams now have a modern, comfortable and fit-for-purpose HQ to call home."
Hobhouse said:
"I'm grateful to Clare Moody and Avon and Somerset Police as well as Bath and North East Somerset Council for their work in delivering this investment. I hope this makes it easier for residents to access the police service, enables officers to do their jobs to the highest standards, and ultimately, makes the city safer for residents and visitors!"
Moody said:
"In so many conversations with residents across Bath, I consistently hear calls for more visible policing. This new station has come as a direct result of listening to those voices and responding to what communities in Bath tell us is needed. I am grateful to Wera and to everyone who advocated for the new station on behalf of the public. It directly supports the delivery of my Police and Crime Plan priority to strengthen visible, neighbourhood policing."
Manda Rigby, Bath and North East Somerset Council's Cabinet Member for Communications and Community, said:
"It's wonderful to have a visible building for the police in the middle of Bath. They've served us so well, for such a long time and it's fantastic to have a physical space for them to be seen in."