Empty or unused South Yorkshire Police stations are 'not a good look', councillors complain
Political figures believe using as many buildings in the police force’s estate as possible will increase visibility and confidence.
Empty police stations across South Yorkshire are “not a good look”, councillors have said.
Calls for former police stations to be reopened for visible policing and accessibility have spread across South Yorkshire, with the topic arriving at the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel on June 22, 2026.
Ian Horner, a Liberal Democrat councillor from Sheffield City Council, said: “It continues to be the case that there’s an empty South Yorkshire Police station on the parkway into Sheffield.
“I keep making this point. It’s not a good look. It is a waste of public money.”
Councillor Horner refers to the large white building next to the Nunnery Square Park and Ride, which still has South Yorkshire Police branding on the exterior.
He said the park and ride car park is regularly “overflowing” due to nearby Volker Rail “occupying part of the car park”.
“Volker Rail could be in the police compound, presumably paying rent for that and [the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority] could be getting more money from people visiting the park and ride,” he told the panel.
“We need to continue to deal with the police estate properly.”
Kilvinder Vigurs, the deputy mayor of South Yorkshire for policing and crime, said the SYMCA was “working with South Yorkshire Police on their estates strategy”, promising to share more information when she can.
Cllr Lee Sammutt, from the City of Doncaster Council, was similarly rebutted by Ms Vigurs when he asked about Rossington Police Station.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has previously shared that local councillors, including Cllr Sammutt, had successfully amassed thousands of signatures for a petition calling on Rossington Police Station to be made an “active police station”.
Local councillors said residents wanted to see visible policing and that it would bring confidence back to communities.
At the time, Ms Vigurs said in a statement that policing had changed since Rossington Police Station was closed.
She said it was used as a base for Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and non-public facing teams and there were “no plans for that to change”.