Bolans residents look set to have a brand new clinic and police station by autumn with work now underway.
Construction is well advanced on the Valley Road-based clinic which will replace the smaller existing facility in the village.
Heavy equipment could also be seen this week preparing the foundations for the police station, a stone’s throw from the new clinic. The former dilapidated station – which had been out of action for several years – was demolished earlier this month.
Works Minister Lennox Weston told Observer yesterday both buildings were scheduled for completion within a maximum of five months.
A fire station is also set to be created adjacent to the police station.
Bolans Police Station has been closed since October 2017, with residents forced to use the Johnson’s Point counterpart instead. Police announced at the time that it would be a temporary relocation while repairs were carried out.
Earlier this year, Commissioner Atlee Rodney upped calls for stations across the country to be upgraded. Many police stations, along with holding cells, have been in a deplorable state for years, with both detainees and lawyers threatening to sue the government.
In June 2020, scores of officers joined protests at the Police Recreation Grounds to demand better working conditions.
A number of stations have since been fixed up, including St John’s and Parham.
