New Police Strategy Means Fewer Police Stations - Nicholson

1.27.27pm GMT Thu 14th Feb 2008

As new plans to shut two police stations in Streatham and Clapham emerge from a meeting of Lambeth Borough Police earlier this week, top Police bosses have refused a meeting with local residents to discuss concerns over the plan.

The two police stations, one on Streatham High Road and the other on Cavendish Road in Clapham, are now earmarked for closure as part of the new "estate" strategy being developed for policing Lambeth. This will leave both Streatham and Clapham without police stations.

If implemented, the strategy will see police stations across Lambeth closed and the sites sold off. All that will be left will be the so-called "police shops" - simple front desks in commercial areas. These police shops may not be manned by police officers, and this has led many local residents to fear that they will be maintained solely by civilian staff and only open during certain times of the day.

Instead, Lambeth police officers will be stationed at patrol bases situated in uninviting ex-industrial warehouses away from high streets. Unlike a normal police station, there would be no access to these buildings to the public.

Liberal Democrat Councillor for Streatham Hill, Ashley Lumsden, has now called for a meeting with Police and local residents in Streatham to discuss the planned closure of Streatham Police Station, but this request was refused by Lambeth Police.

Speaking about the planned closures, Councillor Lumsden said:

"Many local people are rightly concerned about how these plans will affect their access to trained police officers."

"If you have a problem with crime, you want to talk to a police officer - not a civilian member of staff, but these police shops don't guarantee this and we don't even know what times during the day they'll be open!"

"That's why we need a proper meeting with Lambeth Police Service so that we can find out just what they intend on doing if these stations are closed."

Commenting on the issue, Parliamentary Spokesperson for Streatham, Chris Nicholson said:

"I don't think Streatham Police Station is perfect by any means, and it's clear that extra investment is needed to maintain the site."

"But I don't think this new strategy is the answer either as it risks putting up unnecessary barriers between people and their local bobby on the beat."

"Also, everyone knows how bad the traffic is in Streatham and Clapham, it is folly to move police response teams away from these centres to some industrial estate miles away."

"If this plan goes ahead we risk throwing the baby out with the bathwater, losing the many benefits of a fully staffed police station in the local area."

Notes

(1) The Estate Plan will also see the establishment of a new custody centre serving both Lambeth and neighbouring boroughs (not likely to be less than 25 cells)

(2) No extra funding will be available for these changes, so the strategy will be dependent on the sale of existing sites and other efficiency cuts to services.

(3) Safer Neighbourhood Teams who operate out of police stations will have to find new locations in which to base their activities.