A PUBLIC consultation over Mid Cheshire's controversial detention centre may be on the cards - after enquiries from the Chronicle.
Cheshire police has promised the Chronicle that it will open direct communications with Middlewich residents after we highlighted concerns they had not been consulted.
The Pochin Way centre is one of three custody suites opening in Cheshire. Police claim the 30-cell centre will simplify the detention process and increase the number of officers on the beat by enabling custody suite staff to process the details of those arrested, who will include people from Northwich, Winsford and Middlewich and towns further afield. But residents and councillors believe it could lead to criminals walking the town's streets on their release.
One of the most outspoken opponents, Patrick McGlade of Angus Grove, said: 'Chief Inspector David Berten-shaw promised us a full public consultation - but if that happened, I didn't hear anything about it.'
When we put his complaints to Cheshire Police, spokeswoman Jane Gregory said: 'We were all set to begin public consultations in Middlewich, just as we did for the other two suites in Runcorn and Chester. Our first step was to meet with the town's community panel, which included representatives of Middlewich Town Council, Congleton Borough Council and the public.
'But at that meeting in April, the panel told us there was no need for a full liaison panel which would include Middlewich residents and that all objections would be passed through the community panel.'
But when we raised residents' concerns with her, she admitted: 'I haven't heard any of these complaints. We've never been told about any serious concerns from residents and as a result we believed there were no issues to address.'
The police have pledged to open consultations as soon as possible, but , with the custody suite due to open in November, no dates have been set.
Meanwhile, Mr McGlade says he's so angry about the proposals that he is planning to leave the town. He said: 'So much is dumped on Middlewich I'm considering getting out of here. This centre will import criminals and the dregs of society to the town and when they're released, there are no trains and a patchy bus service at best, so these people will pinch bikes and cars to get back to wherever they came from. It beggars belief.'
The majority of the facility's staff will be employed by PFI partner Cheshire Custody Services (CCC) - a company set up by former Group 4 Security subsidiary GSL UK which helped fund the project and is renting the building and its services to the police. GSL's staff will handle almost all of the centre's operations, from transporting those arrested to face-to-face contact and care while they are in custody.
Mrs Gregory said: 'Our partnership with CCC is a normal PFI relationship. They manage the facilities, including heating, lights and upkeep, as well as providing officers to perform prisoner-facing roles. Our officers will be there to book them in and perform a normal police custodial role.'
