Ealing Police Station Could Close

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One of nine that may be sold off by the Metropolitan Police Service

Ealing police station on the Uxbridge Road is one of nine that could be sold off in a bid to save money.

 

Barking, Sidcup, Willesden Green, Orpington, South Norwood, Highbury Vale, East Ham and Richmond stations are the others under threat.

The Conservatives say many stations are inefficient or underused. Mary MacLeod, Conservative MP for Brentford and Isleworth, said: "We don't know yet whether they're going to close or not.

"This [review] is overdue, because we do have 800 buildings on the police estate and many of them are under-utilised, inefficient, not suitable for modern-day policing."

Ealing's police station has no custody cells, the ones in Southall recently closed and Acton has the only custody centre in the borough.

John Tully of the Police Federation said if  these closures go-ahead they would have little impact on officers.

"Our concern is for the members of the public," he said."I hear from correspondence we get that the public would rather see police stations remain open."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "The way in which people contact public services has changed and police are responding to this new reality.

"We are in a difficult financial environment but this is not about providing less - it's about directing our resources to improve the service we provide to the public."

Ealing's Lib Dem group Leader Councillor Gary Malcolm says if the police were to move the new premises would still need to be central:

'' "The police need a central Ealing location. If they were able to move to a more accessible building, but still in Central Ealing, that would be suitable.

''When I spoke to Ealing Police's borough commander, we said that it was essential they had a central Ealing station and he said they were looking at such a location.

Having it in Ealing Town Hall or the Council's Perceval House would be another good location."

 

A firm plan on which police stations are to close is expected by the autumn.

 

 

26th June 2012