Birkenhead Gets New Community Police Station at Lauries Hub 2026

Key Points

• Emily Spurrell, Merseyside Police Commissioner, has sanctioned the opening of a new community police station at The Lauries Centre in Claughton Road, Birkenhead.
• This community police station is going to replace the old community police station in Conway Building.
• This police station will not be available to the public on a daily basis, nor will the officers have any permanent station there. However, it will help them start their patrol from there and complete it there as well.
• The Lauries Centre comprises various charitable organisations and public bodies that are helping the homeless, young and vulnerable individuals, veterans, and families.
• Chief Superintendent Mark Wiggins stated that this move would provide greater access, reassurance, and intelligence and would save the time of the officers.
• This base will be used by the officers of the entire Wirral region, especially those of the Birkenhead town centre policing team.

Birkenhead (Liverpool standard) September 15, 2026 – A new community police station has opened in Birkenhead town centre, bringing neighbourhood officers closer to the communities they serve from a modern base at The Lauries Centre on Claughton Road.

The move, approved by Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell, replaces the former community station at the Conway Building and establishes a visible, accessible hub for local policing activity in the heart of Birkenhead.

What is the new community police station in Birkenhead?

As reported by staff at Birkenhead News, the new facility is intended to boost community policing, increase police visibility and provide reassurance to people living, working and visiting the town centre. While it will serve as a local operational base for neighbourhood officers and staff, it will not be routinely open to the public and officers will not be permanently based there. Instead, it will support flexible neighbourhood policing, providing a central location from which officers can start and finish patrols, engage with partners and meet members of the community as part of planned local policing activity.

Where is the new police base located and why does it matter?

The Lauries Centre is home to a wide range of charities, public services, community organisations and businesses. Its tenants include organisations supporting people experiencing homelessness, vulnerable young people, veterans and local families, creating opportunities for stronger partnership working and problem-solving in the community. As noted by the Wirral Globe, the station is also located close to facilities used by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and North West Ambulance Service, creating further opportunities for multi-agency collaboration on issues affecting the town centre.

Who approved the move and what have senior officers said?

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said, according to Birkenhead News: “Community policing is most effective when officers are visible, accessible and embedded within the communities they serve. Establishing this new Community Police Station at The Lauries Centre will provide exactly that.” She added: “The Lauries is already a thriving community hub, bringing together charities, public services, businesses and local residents under one roof. By locating our neighbourhood policing team alongside these organisations, we can strengthen our partnerships, improve problem-solving and ensure local people have greater opportunities to engage with their police service.”

Commissioner Spurrell also said the new facility demonstrates a continued commitment to neighbourhood policing and to providing modern, accessible policing bases in the heart of communities. She said it gives officers a central location in Birkenhead from which they can patrol, engage with local people and respond to issues affecting residents and businesses, rather than spending valuable time travelling back to more distant police facilities. “We know how important visible policing is to public confidence. This move will help us maintain a strong neighbourhood policing presence in Birkenhead while ensuring our officers have the facilities they need to serve the community effectively,” she said, as quoted by Birkenhead News.

Chief Superintendent Mark Wiggins, Area Commander for Wirral, said:

“The opening of this fantastic facility will help us have a visible presence in a building that has proved a vital and well-used asset for the communities of Birkenhead.”

He added:

“It is really important that we make ourselves as accessible as possible to our communities and this will enable us to further reassure people who live and work in the area, as well as helping us to develop local intelligence. It will also allow us to engage with the other partner agencies, charities and organisations that use the centre to support people to join up our approach towards reducing crime and antisocial behaviour and making the area safer.”

As reported by the Wirral Globe, Supt Wiggins said the centre would allow an access point for all police officers on the Wirral but particularly the Birkenhead town centre policing team, who will now be able to spend even more time in the area they police, supporting residents and businesses. He said: “Our officers are looking forward to working out of this new base, and invite anyone with concerns, information or questions to pop in and see us.”

How will the station operate day to day?

Both Birkenhead News and the Wirral Globe emphasise that the station will not be permanently staffed or routinely open to the public. Officers will use it as a flexible operational base while continuing to spend time out in the community. The intention is to reduce administrative travel time and increase the amount of time officers can devote to patrols, engagement and response work in Birkenhead town centre and surrounding neighbourhoods.

What role will partnership working play?

Police say the new base will help strengthen links between the neighbourhood policing team and the services already based at The Lauries, with a particular focus on tackling crime and antisocial behaviour. Commissioner Spurrell said, according to Birkenhead News: “This new facility demonstrates our continued commitment to neighbourhood policing and to providing modern, accessible policing bases in the heart of our communities.” The force hopes the facility will help police work more closely with partner agencies, charities and organisations based at The Lauries to create a joined-up approach to making the area safer, as reported by the Wirral Globe.

Background to the development

The new community police station replaces a previous base at the Conway Building, which had served as the local community station for neighbourhood officers in Birkenhead. The relocation to The Lauries Centre follows a decision by Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell to establish a more central, accessible and visible location for town-centre policing. The Lauries has increasingly become a focal point for community life in Birkenhead, hosting a range of support services under one roof. By situating the neighbourhood policing team within that environment, Merseyside Police aims to align its presence with other key community services, including fire and ambulance facilities nearby, and to embed officers more firmly within existing local networks.

Prediction: how this development could affect residents and businesses

If the new community police station delivers on the stated aims of greater visibility, reduced travel time and closer partnership working, residents and businesses in Birkenhead town centre could see more frequent officer presence on streets and in public spaces, faster local responses to emerging issues and improved channels for sharing concerns and information. For people who rely on support services at The Lauries, including those experiencing homelessness or vulnerability, the proximity of neighbourhood officers may also mean quicker access to safeguarding and crime-prevention advice. Over time, the arrangement could strengthen trust between the community and police, provided officers maintain regular, visible engagement and the facility is used consistently as a base for town-centre patrols and problem-solving.