The Scoop

London police stations to be sold off admits Boris

Adam Bienkov | Thursday 12 July, 2012 08:39

Over a dozen police stations and buildings are to be sold off across London Boris Johnson admitted this week.

The list released to the Assembly is thought to be the first step in a series of closures required to fill a £233 million hole in his police budget.

The Mayor has also revealed plans to privatise large parts of the Metropolitan police service.

Under his plans, the following stations and buildings have “in principal” approval to be sold off:

• Barking Police Station
• Willesden Green Police Station
• Orpington Police Station
• South Norwood
• Ealing Police Station
• Southgate Police Station
• Wealdstone Police Station
• East Ham Police Station / Section House
• Highbury Vale
• Richmond Police Station
• Rotherhithe Police Station
• Lavender Hill

The following buildings already have full approval for sale:

• Finchley Traffic Garage
• Sidcup Police Station
• Kingsbury
• East Dulwich (old police station)

A number of these stations and buildings are already closed to the public.

Under the mayor’s longer term plans just one police station front desk will be left open in each London borough.

Boris had previously insisted that no police station front desks would be closed without there being a “suitable alternative” nearby.

Last week Assistant Commissioner Simon Byrne told the Assembly that Londoners would only ever be “ten minutes by car” from an open police station.

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