Council offers to share York House in Windsor with police

An offer has been made by the Royal Borough to the Police and Crime Commissioner to share York House in Windsor with the police.

Windsor councillors have written a letter to Anthony Stansfield, the PCC for Thames Valley Police, offering to share the council offices in Sheet Street with the force.

The town has been without a manned police station since April, after officers moved out of its Alma Road site as part of money-saving measures.

In the letter, Cllr Edward Wilson (Con, Clewer South) states: “Our residents do complain that a manned police station in a garrison town with a royal household and more than 30,000 residents  is just not desirable, it is essential.

“In particular they tell us that the absence of a visible, manned police office in our town creates ‘distance’ between themselves and the police who are serving them.

“Sharing our premises at York House would overcome many of the concerns expressed to us."

The council first discussed the idea of sharing the building with TVP at a cabinet meeting in February.

Cllr Jack Rankin (Con, Castle Without) would not reveal the financial details of the offer, but said ‘Thames Valley Police would pay their fair share’.

York House is set to be refurbished next year, with the works expected to being complete by summer 2018.

Cllr Ed Wilson said they are expecting to hear back from the PCC as ‘soon as possible’.