This Thursday 18th September our local police are holding a public engagement session on the proposed closure on Chingford Police Station's front desk from 12:30–1:30pm at the King's Road Baptist Church, 16 Kings Road, Chingford, E4 7EY.
I encourage all those who can to join me and have their say on the future of policing in our community.
Following the Labour Government’s Police Funding Settlement and the Mayor’s budget allocation, the Metropolitan Police is facing a £260 million shortfall, resulting in the proposal to close the front desk at Chingford Police Station, Kings Head Hill, E4 7EA.
Chingford Police Station is currently the only operational police station in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, serving a population of approximately 278,400 residents. It also supports residents in Woodford, on the other side of our constituency.
The potential closure of the front desk has raised significant concerns, particularly for elderly and vulnerable residents. Chingford and Woodford Green has a significantly older population compared to other areas in London. Should this front desk close, the nearest publicly accessible station will be in Stratford, over an hour away by public transport.
Like many of you, I believe this proposal will further erode public confidence in policing. Over 2,500 residents have already signed the petition led by local Conservative councillors and myself, demonstrating concerns about public confidence in policing in the area.
We’ve seen this before, Woodford Police Station’s front desk was closed, and the entire station was eventually shut down in 2020 after the building was sold. We must not allow the same to happen in Chingford.