A new town centre home for Solihull Police Station has been proposed by Solihull Council following discussions with West Midlands Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner.
The Conservative-led authority has announced plans for the police station to relocate from Homer Road to The Priory on Church Hill Road, part of the Council House site, ensuring a continued police presence in the heart of Solihull.
The announcement comes amid a long-running debate over the future of policing facilities in Solihull town centre and follows campaigning by local residents and councillors concerned about the planned closure of the existing Homer Road station.
Councillor Karen Grinsell, Leader of Solihull Council, said the proposal was the result of partnership working between the council and policing bodies.
She said:
“Residents rightly expect to be able to access their local police service, and we have worked proactively with our partners to ensure that continues.
“This proposal keeps a police presence in the heart of Solihull town centre and demonstrates what can be achieved when organisations work together in the interests of our communities.
“As a Conservative-led Council, we are committed to supporting safer neighbourhoods and protecting the services that matter most to local people. I am delighted we have been able to help secure a solution that maintains an accessible police station in Solihull.
“Subject to Cabinet approval later this month, we look forward to working with West Midlands Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner to bring these plans forward over the coming months.”
The council says the relocation will ensure Solihull continues to benefit from an accessible town centre police station while making effective use of existing public assets.
MP Welcomes Move
Solihull MP Saqib Bhatti described the announcement as the culmination of years of campaigning to retain a police station in the town centre. He said:
“This is wonderful news. A decade of campaigning by the Solihull Conservatives to stop the closure of Solihull Police Station despite successive Labour Police and Crime Commissioners looking to do so.
“Having a permanent base in Solihull Town Centre is essential as you need a base for vehicles and for officers. I committed to saving Solihull Police Station when I was first elected in 2019 and then in 2024, making it clear to the previous and current PCC that I would not accept the closure of Solihull Police Station.
“Thank you to everybody who has supported Solihull Conservatives in this campaign. This is a victory for Solihull.
“This is not the end though. We need more officers across the borough including in our rural policing team and also a front desk to be open in Chelmsley Wood. I, and my fellow Solihull Conservatives, will continue campaigning for this.”
Mr Bhatti has repeatedly raised concerns about the future of the Homer Road station and has long argued that Solihull should retain a permanent police presence in the town centre.
Reform UK Campaigners Also Welcome Decision
The announcement was also welcomed by Reform UK councillors, who have spent recent weeks campaigning for a replacement police station to remain in the town centre.
Councillor Samantha Gethen, Leader of the Reform UK Group on Solihull Council, described the development as a victory for local residents.
In a post on X, she said:
“This is a victory for the hundreds of residents who backed our campaign and shows that when local people stand together, they can make a difference.
“We saved Solihull Police Station.”
A statement on the Save Solihull Police Station campaign website said more than 850 residents signed a petition calling for a guaranteed town centre replacement for the Homer Road station. The group says the Church Hill Road proposal ensures policing remains in the location residents wanted.
Long-Running Debate
The future of Solihull Police Station has been under discussion since 2018 when plans were first put forward by then Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson to close the Homer Road site as part of wider cost-saving measures across West Midlands Police.
The closure timetable was repeatedly delayed amid concerns from residents, councillors and MPs about maintaining a visible police presence in the town centre.
More recently, developer Opus Land submitted proposals to demolish the Homer Road station and replace it with office accommodation and a multi-storey car park.
Current Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster has previously said officers and staff would relocate to a new town centre police station with a public contact office, while response policing teams would operate from the former police site on Winchcombe Road.
The Solihull Observer previously reported that discussions were taking place between the Police and Crime Commissioner and Solihull Council regarding a replacement station and that the Homer Road site is expected to be vacated by May 2027.
If approved by Cabinet later this month, the Church Hill Road proposal would secure a permanent police station in Solihull town centre while allowing redevelopment of the existing Homer Road site.
The Solihull Observer has contacted West Midlands Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for comment.
