New police station places officers at heart of community as Newton le Willows neighbourhood team doubles
31.03.26 - Merseyside
The new police station in Newton-le-Willows has opened following a major development project, providing a modern base for neighbourhood officers and strengthening policing across the St Helens area.
The purpose-built station, located at the junction of Market Street and Peel Street, replaces the outdated 1970s facility and has been shaped by extensive community consultation. It provides modern, improved working conditions, a welcoming public enquiry office, essential meeting spaces and sustainable, energy efficient technology aligned to Merseyside Police’s Net Zero ambitions.
The opening of the station coincides with Merseyside Police’s transition to a new geographical Basic Command Unit (BCU) model, introduced this week as part of a comprehensive force restructure aimed at modernising policing and improving local accountability.
As part of the restructure, the Neighbourhood Policing Team at Newton le Willows has grown significantly from eight police officers and five PCSOs to 18 officers and nine PCSOs.
Merseyside Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “Whenever I am out on community walkabouts, the message I hear time and time again from residents is clear: people want to see more officers out on our streets. The opening of the new police station in Newton-le-Willows and the expansion of the Neighbourhood Policing Team is a direct response to that call and places officers firmly at the heart of the community, ensuring local people have a visible, approachable policing presence they know and trust.
“This growth in neighbourhood officers and PCSOs reflects the Chief Constable’s clear commitment to making Merseyside Police a more front facing, engaging and responsive force. By basing more officers here, the new model ensures the force is better equipped to prevent and fight crime now and in the future.
“I welcome this investment in local policing, which will help improve response times, support early intervention and deepen the relationships that are so vital to keeping our communities safe.”
Inspector Stacey Pope, who leads the Neighbourhood Policing Team at Newton-le-Willows, said: “This new station gives our officers the modern facilities they need and places us right at the heart of the community, allowing us to be more responsive to the issues that matter most to local people.
“The additional officers joining the team this week mean we will have more officers out in the community – we can be more visible and more accessible. We will have a greater capacity to prevent and tackle crime and anti social behaviour.”
The new BCU model brings together dedicated neighbourhood policing, response teams, investigations, problem solving and prevention under a single local command. Designed to reflect the needs of communities across Merseyside, the model supports quicker decision making and a stronger focus on early intervention.
The station is now fully operational, with officers deployed from the new base as the force completes its transition to the BCU structure, enhancing local policing across the area.