A police hub planned for the Canada Water Masterplan has been thrown into doubt – with developer British Land and the Met Police unable to confirm whether it will go ahead.
With the Rotherhithe police station having closed in 2017, locals hoped a new hub would help keep a lid on anti-social behaviour as the area’s population increased due to the 3,000 home Canada Water development.
When the scheme got planning permission, British Land agreed to use “reasonable endeavours to deliver a Police Hub”, subject to to the police’s approval.
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Marketing materials later reaffirmed the developer was “committed to… a space for a new police hub” leading some locals to believe it was “100 per cent nailed on”.
So the revelation that the hub may not go ahead has come as a shock to locals, many of whom have reported rising anti-social behaviour in the area.
Local campaigner Steve Cornish said: “I and others in the area are concerned about the possibility that something that we thought was nailed on 100 per cent going to happen is at risk of being taken away.
“The word on the street is that we are starting to lose of some of the amenities that have been discussed for over a decade during dozens of meetings at the Canada Water Forum.”
In 2017, the Rotherhithe Police Station on Lower Road closed after 52 years and moved to a purpose-built base behind Seven Islands Leisure Centre as part of Met Police cuts.
It meant Walworth was the only police station in the borough to have a front counter open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
But according to a Transport for London (TfL) report, the 27,000-strong population of Rotherhithe and Surrey Docks will “increase significantly” – double by some estimates.
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Both Surrey Docks and Rotherhithe have seen crime increase almost every month this year, exacerbating fears about the strain on local police.
A Met Police spokesperson said: “I can confirm that no decision on this has been made either way. Nothing further to add at the moment.”
A British Land spokesperson said: “We are in ongoing discussions with the Metropolitan Police about the delivery of a Canada Water ‘hub’ for local services as part of the Canada Water masterplan.
“While the specification is subject to negotiations and dependent on the Police’s operational and property requirements, we will continue to work closely with them about how to bring a police hub to Canada Water that is fit for purpose.”
