Senior Solihull councillors have approved the next step towards securing a permanent police station in the town centre, with hopes that the new facility at The Priory could open by spring 2027.
The decision, taken at a cabinet meeting on 23 July 2026, allows the council to enter into a long lease with West Midlands Police for the building on Church Hill Road. The Priory has been vacant for ten years and will require refurbishment to meet energy efficiency standards, with officers now seeking grant funding to support the work.
Background to the Move
The plans come after a developer lodged an application to demolish the current Homer Road police station and replace it with a five-storey office block. Campaigners had fought for years to prevent Solihull from losing its permanent police station, and the move to The Priory aims to maintain a police presence in the town centre.
Councillor Ken Hawkins, a former West Midlands Police inspector, welcomed the progress but expressed frustration at the time taken. “This has been going on since 2018. I think the police lost the chance to save a lot of money by taking this long to get this far. We know the current station isn’t fit for what police require – it is important this new building does fit what Solihull police and the public demand,” he said.
Details of the New Facility
Officer Peter Carroll, the authority’s head of strategic land and property, outlined the police’s plans. “In the police published strategy they do commit to maintain a full service provision for Solihull. The proposals for The Priory are for a neighbourhood policing facility and front facing customer desk, so there will be response officers at The Priory. But the blue light response, the proposal as we understand it, is to station that at Winchcombe Road where police already have another premises,” he explained.
Councillor Wazma Qais voiced strong support. “I fully support this, it is great news for us and reassuring for Solihull residents,” she said.
Concerns and Reassurances
The Reform group leader, Councillor Samantha Gethen, urged caution. “The devil is in the detail, it will be good to know what they are planning to do from that building, opening hours and such. More than happy with what has been proposed – if the police believe this building is sufficient to keep within Solihull then we’ve got to go with that,” she said.
Council leader Karen Grinsell emphasised the collaborative effort. “This is a really good news story for all of us. A lot of hard work has been done over a number of years by councillors and officers to get us to this position. I’m hopefully everybody is agreement we precede with this arrangement with the police and they get it open as soon as possible. We are very much hoping it will be spring time next year, which will be good,” she said.
Next Steps
The cabinet formally approved entering into an agreement for leasehold disposal and undertaking a programme of works for refurbishment to create a shell specification. It was also agreed that the council would carry out internal fit-out works on behalf of West Midlands Police, subject to reimbursement of the full cost by the police.
The meeting was held at the Civic Suite on 23 July 2026.
