Ayr’s new £1.5 million police station was officially opened today, sporting a number of ‘firsts’ for Scotland’s police force.
Some 200 officers made the move from the crumbling King Street building to nearby Newton House, on Green Street Lane, in May, leaving behind their base of almost 50 years.
Now their ‘new home’, as Ayrshire’s top cop, Chief Superintendent Faroque Hussain, hails it, boasts ‘first class’ facilities, that embody modern-day policing.
The repurposed Newton House, which originally operated as a school and most recently as council offices, hosts a number of ‘firsts’ for Police Scotland including a multi-faith room with Wudu wash facilities for Muslim officers and a bespoke mothering room.
Upgraded office spaces, a brand-new gym, wellbeing rooms, and an LGBT+ changing room also feature in the revamped space – all costing £1.5 million compared to the £1.6 million it would’ve cost just to repair the leaking roof at King Street.
Also making the move from King Street is the Ayrshire Police War Memorial, which now takes pride of place near the entrance of Newton House, reminding police and public alike to never forget Ayrshire’s war hero cops.
Chief superintendent Faroque Hussain said he is “indebted” to those involved in transforming the building, including Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone QPM, Deputy Chief Officer David Page, responsible for finance and procurement, and South Ayrshire Council, all of whom helped Ayrshire Police Division secure a new premises.
He said: “The old police building wasn’t exactly the condition we would’ve liked it to have been in.
“We were determined to move out and find a location that we could be really proud of.
“Even though we moved out of a building that was built in 1975 into a building that was built in 1846, when you wander around you will see the first class condition that our colleagues have transformed this into.
“This building demonstrates a number of first for ourselves- this is the first operational police building that allows Muslim colleagues to actually do their prayers in terms of having Wudu facilities that allows them to wash.
“Although there are mothering rooms elsewhere within the organisation, they tend to be merged with other uses but here we’ve got a bespoke mothering room; alongside a number of wellbeing rooms, an outstanding gym for our colleagues and then for our LGBTI colleagues we have a gender neutral changing facility that allows individuals to use those facilities if they so desire.