MERSEYSIDE Police Commissioner Jane Kennedy has announced plans to move her office in a bid to make more than £1m for the force through the sale of Allerton Police Station.

Ms Kennedy’s team has been based in Allerton Police Station in Liverpool since May 2013, but in line with her Estate Strategy and following substantial interest in the prime location on Rose Lane, the Commissioner took the decision to put the building on the market to raise vital funds for Merseyside Police.

In partnership with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, a joint plot of 0.96 acres encompassing the old fire station on Mather Avenue and the police station on Rose Lane was put on the market last October.

More than 200 expressions of interest were received about the site, with a total of 24 formal offers being submitted by the deadline in March.

Following a detailed evaluation of those bids in partnership with the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority (MFRA), the Commissioner can now confirm the joint site has been sold to housing association Liverpool Mutual Homes.

The sale of the former police station, which has been closed to the public since 2011 and now only houses the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, will raise slightly more than £1m for Merseyside Police.

The move will save more than £50,000 each year on the annual running costs of the police estate which can be redirected straight into frontline policing.

The office of the Police and Crime Commissioner will now temporarily relocate to vacant space in Wavertree Road Police Station, while space is prepared in Mather Avenue Police Station where the office will be permanently relocated in approximately 12 months’ time.

Ms Kennedy said: “Allerton Police Station is a beautiful old building which is an asset to the area. The Estate Strategy, supported by 92 per cent of the public who responded, committed to disposing of older buildings that are not fit for modern policing and are expensive to maintain.

“I therefore took the decision that Allerton Police Station, which was more than half empty and no longer used by anyone in the Force, could be released in order to generate much-needed capital for Merseyside Police. Combined with the old fire station on Mather Avenue, which has been closed since March 2015, it clearly held a lot of interest to buyers and developers, as demonstrated by the number of enquiries we received.

“In partnership with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, I have accepted the highest unconditional bid which enables us to release the properties quickly, ensuring precious funds can now be redirected towards reducing the capital costs to Merseyside Police and the fire service.

“My office will now relocate to empty space in Wavertree Road Police Station while a permanent base for my team is prepared at Mather Avenue. This will also reduce the annual running costs of the police service – saving an extra £56,000 year on year which can be directed into frontline policing.

“In the meantime, I will continue to look for a space in the Allerton area to locate a Community Police Station, which will enable the neighbourhood team to continue to be accessible and visible to the local community.”

The Estate Strategy is the Commissioner’s 10 year plan to update and modernise the Force’s ageing buildings, with the aim of saving £2.5million every year on the cost of running the police estate – protecting 65 police officer posts each year.

The Commissioner’s office will move to Wavertree Road Police Station on Monday, September 3.