Estates Consultation: Brae

Results updated 2 Jul 2024

Plans to dispose of Brae police station on mainland Shetland have been approved following public consultation. The building will now be marketed for sale.

For the last eight years, local policing officers on Shetland have mostly deployed from Lerwick where they have supported and served the surrounding areas. The last officer based at Brae retired in June 2022.

We understand that for many, the physical presence of a police station has provided reassurance and confidence to the local community over the years. However, our presence in communities is not defined by buildings but by the officers and staff who work in the area.

Operational police officers have not been stationed in Brae for some time. With advances in mobile technology and our fleet, officers will continue to actively patrol the local areas throughout Shetland, as they have been doing successfully for the last few years, from Lerwick.

Vacant buildings incur running costs and ongoing repairs and maintenance and so it makes sense to dispose of surplus buildings and invest in areas where it is most needed.

We are in the process of creating a new co-location police office on South Uist, which we are aiming to open later this year and we are also actively looking at options for co-locating with partners on North Uist in the Western Isles.  In addition to this, over the last year we have also upgraded existing housing and invested in new housing for local officers in Shetland, Orkney, Gairloch, Glencoe and Strontian.

Officers working in remote and rural locations play an integral part in community life and it is vital we support them to remain or relocate to these areas. Our housing strategy sets out how we are providing modern, fit for purpose accommodation which is environmentally sustainable, and which provides best value to our officers and the public.

The Police Scotland National Estates Programme will continue to review and invest in our buildings to maintain our estate at an acceptable standard, meet health and safety requirements, and ensure our properties are fit for purpose.

We are committed to maintaining a strong presence across Highland and Islands and ensuring the safety of local communities.

To read more see our full article on our website: Police Scotland confirm closure of Brae police station - Police Scotland.

Files:

• Brae - Consultation Report, 412.3 KB (PDF document)