Plans to sell off London’s police stations have been “paused”, it was revealed on Tuesday.
In a letter to Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers, Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe confirmed that all “disposals” of precincts had been put on hold.
Ms Villiers said: “It’s a relief to have formal confirmation that plans to sell Barnet police station are on hold.
“This comes on top of an earlier concession that if the building were to be vacated then an alternative local base would have to be found for police neighbourhood teams.
“But my campaign will continue until the Mayor of London reverses his decision to close down and sell-off our local police station.”
A spokesman for Sadiq Khan said no final decision had been made about the future of Barnet police station, but there “is now a stronger case” for keeping more buildings. “The review into the Met’s Estate’s Strategy is ongoing,” he said.
“The Met has been clear that their Estate Strategy will reflect ongoing decisions they are taking around workforce, organisational reform, and neighbourhood policing.
“The Mayor is also aware of the strength of opinion in local communities and the feedback from local residents that police stations make their neighbourhoods feel safer.
“Given the Casey Review findings about the need to invigorate frontline policing, deliver on local priorities and in the light of additional Mayoral investment in PSCOs, the Mayor believes that there is now a stronger case for the Met retaining more police buildings than previously envisaged.”
The Metropolitan Police has brought in roughly £1bn by selling off assets in recent years, amid a backdrop of Government funding cuts.
About 100 stations with front counters, where the public can speak with an officer, were shutdown in London between 2012 and 2017.
MPs who are facing closures in their constituencies have also urged Sadiq Khan to consider offering the buildings to councils at slightly discounted rates so they can remain community assets.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley had previously indicated a review of the force’s Estates Strategy, due to be published later this year, will consider whether plans for closures had gone too far and needed to be changed.
Savile Row, Tooting and Cavendish Road police stations have all been sold off since 2020 in deals worth a combined total of more than £62million.
Plans to convert Paddington Green police station into hundreds of homes have now been approved by City Hall.
Tory Mayoral candidate Susan Hall said: "Sadiq Khan has shut down 36 police stations and allowed crime to get out of control.
“He says he'll stop the closures? I don't buy it. Sadiq isn't listening to Londoners' concerns about their safety, but I am - that's why I'll bring back borough based policing, and get back to basics."
This has increased hopes for the future use of Teddington’s old police station – and could also protect one in Notting Hill.
The breakthrough came when the Government backed moves to allow the Mayor’s office for policing and crime to sell disused stations for below their market value where this would promote the good of the community.
