Peterhead could finally get long-awaited new police station

The north-east’s biggest town could finally get a new police station – more than two decades after the idea was first proposed.The force’s existing Merchant Street base in Peterhead – inside a former bank building – has long been deemed “not fit for purpose”.But multimillion-pound plans for a new station and custody suite at Catto Way collapsed when planning permission on the site expired earlier this year.Now it can be revealed that the force is back on course with plans to build a more modest facility in Peterhead town centre.The new plans, which are being spearheaded by Insp Cordiner and his local team, involve building a two-story extension to Aberdeenshire Council’s Buchan House headquarters in the town.The new building would include enough office space for all staff currently operating out of Merchant Street and would be built on the site of the former West End Bar. The pub has recently been demolished.There would be parking space for 12 police vehicles, but there would be no new custody suite or secure compound, which the current station has.The cell block at Merchant Street has been unused since 2004. Instead, custodies from the Peterhead area are transported to a central cell block in Fraserburgh.