February 13, 2022 7.00 am This story is over 26 months old

“Significant number of offers” submitted for former Lincoln police station

The Ryvita building has generated a lot of interest

The former Lincoln Police Station on West Parade. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones will be “carefully reviewing” bids after a “signifiant number of offers” for the force’s former station on West Parade in Lincoln.

It was the end of an era when the affectionally-termed ‘Ryvita building’, which belongs to the office of Lincolnshire’s PCC, closed to the public on November 17, 2019. More services were wound down in the weeks that followed before completing a move into the Blue Light Hub on South Park.

In December 2021, Lambert Smith Hampton put the property on the market for sale by informal tender on behalf of Lincolnshire’s PCC, with the best and final offers required by 12pm on Friday, February 11.

After the deadline had passed Andrew France, associate director for agency and development at Lambert Smith Hampton, told The Lincolnite: “A significant number of offers for a variety of alternative uses were received by the deadline and will now be considered by the Lincolnshire PCC.”

Lincolnshire’s PCC Marc Jones told The Lincolnite: “I will be carefully reviewing any bids once I have received them and looking for the best value for the people of Lincolnshire.

“The receipts from the sale can only be invested in new equipment or existing buildings but the public can be assured the money will be spent on continuing the work to keep our communities safe.”

Inside Lincoln Police Station. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Mr Jones had initially hoped to find a use for the building, which could have a positive economic or social impact on the city.

Unfortunately, after months working with investors in Lincoln to examine a host of different projects, it became clear the impact of lockdown on the economy had scuppered plans to develop the site which police had been using since the mid 1970s, with partners.

This meant he had to push forward with plans to sell the building, but no indication of price was publicly disclosed when the ‘Ryvita building’ was put on the market.

The revenue gained will come in capital receipts, so can only be spent on equipment such as new vehicles, drones, and radios, or on other police buildings.