Bath has welcomed a new era in local policing with the official opening of its brand new police station on Monmouth Street last week. For the first time in over ten years, officers and staff are working together from a single, modern facility in the city.
The new station brings back the full police presence Bath lost in 2015 when the previous station on Manvers Street was closed and sold to the University of Bath. Since then, policing resources had been split across multiple sites, with patrol teams based on Lower Bristol Road and an enquiry desk located within Bath and North East Somerset Council’s one stop shop.
Superintendent Ronnie Lungu of Bath and North East Somerset Police emphasised the importance of the new station, highlighting how a centralised base will enable teams to collaborate more effectively. He said: “From tackling antisocial behaviour and shoplifting to responding to wider city centre demand, having our teams working together from a central base will help us provide a more coordinated and effective response to the issues that matter to our communities.”
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The closure of Bath’s last full police station in 2015 was part of wider cost-saving measures by Avon and Somerset Police. Independent Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens explained that the old building was too large and costly to maintain, costing around £200,000 annually, and its sale protected frontline policing jobs.
However, the absence of a unified station sparked ongoing debate. Bath’s Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse backed calls for a dedicated city police station, while previous commissioners insisted that existing sites served the city adequately.
In 2022, the enquiry desk location was expanded and rebranded as “Bath Police Station,” but the patrol teams remained separate, keeping calls for a single station alive. It was Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford, a local Bath resident elected in 2021, who secured the purchase of Plymouth House, a disused office block at Monmouth and Charles Streets, with plans to convert it into the new station.
Though Mr Shelford left office in 2024, his successor, Labour’s Clare Moody, officially opened the station last week. Ms Moody commented: “Visible policing is important to many in Bath. This new station is a direct response to public feedback and will help shape how local policing is delivered.”
Extensive renovations have transformed Plymouth House, including upgraded windows for security and energy efficiency, enclosed staircases, and enhanced perimeter fencing and gates to protect police vehicles. Matching signage has been installed to identify the building as Bath Police Station.
Chief Constable Sarah Crew praised the development, describing it as a significant investment in Bath policing and the wellbeing of officers and staff. She added: “Modern policing needs facilities that support effective work and collaboration, while also caring for our team’s welfare. This station demonstrates our long-term commitment to Bath and our people.”
The police enquiry desk at the new station opened to the public on 12 August, marking the beginning of a fresh chapter in Bath’s policing history and ensuring a stronger, more visible presence in the city for years to come.