A ‘massive’ level of interest in the sale of Marlow Police Station has seen dozens of enquiries according to officers based at the site, as they prepare for major changes in the town.

The purpose-built station on Dean Street has been up for sale since February since Thames Valley Police announced plans to downsize its estate across the force area.

Commercial agents Lambert Smith Hampton, who are handling the sale for TVP, told the BFP that they have not advertised a guide price for the half acre site.

Spokesman Suzie Wigham said the firm will be asking for “best and final offers” from bidders on the purpose-built police station by April 22.

Inspector Scott Messenger, who heads up the team at Marlow Police Station, said there has been a flurry of interest from housing developers for the prime piece of town centre real estate.

He said: “It’s still up for sale, no sale has been finalised as yet. There have been dozens of people coming round to look, there’s been massive interest.

“The interest is obviously there, and there is a covenant on the site that they will have to supply another police station there on the existing site.

“Estates management have it all in hand but we’ll just wait to see what happens.”

The sale of the 1960s brick building, outbuildings and large car park come as Police and Crime Commissioner Anthony Stansfeld announced deep cuts last year.

He said TVP must save £44.6m over the next three years to meet its tightening budgets, on top of the £58.9m shaved off since 2011/12.

A smaller, more practical police station will be retained on Dean Street, with Insp. Messenger saying it will suit them better than the current, largely empty station.

The neighbourhood team now has five PCs, eight PCSOs and a sergeant, Robin Hughes, working under Insp. Messenger.

The 1960s building has detention cells which are no longer needed after custody suites were shifted to High Wycombe HQ.

Instead, Insp. Messenger said officers are likely to ‘pop-up’ in a temporary town centre location while their new building is completed.

He said: “We’re kind of in limbo at the moment, Until it’s signed, sealed and delivered we’re waiting to see what happens.

Dependent on the construction phase there’s a good chance we may have to temporarily relocate somewhere in town purely from a logistical point of view.

“We have sites in mind but it’s dependent on when we sell as to whether it will be available.”

Agents Lambert Smith Hampton said the site would not necessarily be sold to the highest bidder, with the proposal for the site being taken into account before a buyer is chosen.

Though the bidding closes this month, the firm would not put a timescale on when the sale would be finalised or when construction could begin.