Sep/Oct 2023

36
South Woodford Village Gazette
POLICE HUB HOPES
With planning permission for the development of the former Woodford
Police Station recently refused, Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP renews his call
for a new permanent police hub in the Woodford area
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan,
made the appalling decision to shut
the police station in Woodford in 2020,
dismissing our concerns here that there
would be no local police base as a result.
Since then, my constituents and I have
been campaigning for a new police hub.
The closure meant local Safer Neighbourhood
Teams for Monkhams, Churchfields and South
Woodford wards have been deprived of the
police station they used as a base. Forced
instead to travel every day from Barkingside
Police Station by public transport.
The ludicrous outcome is that our local police
spend a significant amount of time travelling
in and out of Woodford, rather than policing
the area. A hub here, which we have been
promised, would free up more resource hours
to tackle local crime. Importantly, being seen
in the area would reassure residents.
I have been working hard to secure a
permanent police hub in the Woodford area.
I am pleased that the borough commander
for Redbridge, Stuart Bell, following our
campaign, has recognised the need for a
police hub in Woodford to cover the wards
of South Woodford, Churchfields and
Monkhams. The campaign – which included
a petition with over 2,000 signatures and a
public meeting – made it clear residents want
an increased police presence in the area.
In the run-up to the local elections in 2022,
Redbridge Council claimed they had secured
a police hub; however, since then, no such
hub has materialised. Peoples’ hopes were
raised only to be dashed; they are now sick
and tired of empty promises. I have lost count
of the number of residents who have told me
they want police who visit the local shops to
be seen out and about deterring criminals,
something they never see now. The public
safety of those living in the area must be
an absolute priority for Redbridge Council
and the police. Residents want to see the
police on the beat, knowing the police will
respond quickly and efficiently to tackle crime
and antisocial behaviour. Neighbourhood
policing is at the core of cutting crime,
and Safer Neighbourhoods Teams need to
be appropriately resourced to tackle the
challenges of their areas.
Reducing local crime and antisocial behaviour
has always been the priority for all of us. I am
working closely with our local councillors and
the police, and I welcome new Commissioner
Sir Mark Rowley’s public commitment to
neighbourhood policing. I welcome his
confirmation of an extra 3,109 police for the
Met, but repeat Woodford needs the police
to have a proper patrol base to use their time
efficiently for the benefit of my constituents.
That’s why we need and want a police
hub now!
Sir Iain Duncan Smith is the Conservative
MP for Chingford and Woodford Green. For
more information, visit swvg.co.uk/ids
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