Campaigners have six weeks to convince the Met not to sell Wanstead and Woodford police stations
Campaigners have six weeks in which to convince the Met Police not to sell Wanstead and Woodford police stations, it emerged today.
The Met announced plans today to help save �500m over two-and-a-half years including selling its New Scotland Yard headquarters in central London.
But proposals to sell individual police stations, which could include the two stations in the west of Redbridge, have not yet been finalised.
It is understood Redbridge’s borough commander, Det Ch Supt Sue Williams, will speak to residents and councillors over the next six weeks.
Roger Evans, the London Assembly member for Havering and Redbridge who attended a meeting with the Met’s deputy commissioner Craig Mackey this morning, said the final recommendations will be made to the next meeting of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime [MOPAC] in six weeks.
Mr Evans presented a petition of more than 3,500 signatures calling for Wanstead police station in Spratt Hall Road to remain open to the Greater London Assembly last week.
He said: “We need to get the message across as far as possible and hopefully they will leave us alone.”
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MOPAC will have the final decision on which stations are closed.
Mr Mackey also announced plans to close 65 front counters in the capital but said 200 new contact points will open which could include fire stations and post offices.
Mr Evans supports sharing of emergency service bases where possible.
He said: “I’m not giving specifics because I don’t know the pressures, but if we could possibly find a way to share buildings between police and fire services, it would be possible for them to keep their coverage.”
Woodford police station in High Road and the Chadwell Heath police base are also considered under threat of closure.
A Redbridge police spokesman confirmed this morning that no decision has yet been made on Redbridge stations.
