Save Uxbridge Police Station
Uxbridge Police Station is an Iconic and distinctive building in the Uxbridge Town Centre. It is very close to a busy transport hub, giving easy access to all parts of Hillingdon London and the city, Slough, Hounslow, Heathrow, etc. It is opposite to the Magistrates Court and close to the Civic Centre and busy shopping centre.
It has a recently refurbished custody suite that is not used; instead our Police have to take those arrested to Polar Park, Heathrow Police Station. Also the Harrow Custody Suite was available but that is now closed and Polar Park will close when Runway 3 starts. What then?
As the alternative to Uxbridge, we now have a front counter at Hayes and Ruislip. Hayes is no where near as easy to get to as Uxbridge, unless you live in Hayes. It is outdated, small, little parking space: the adjoining parking space does not belong to the Met. So extension is not possible and would planning be granted for extensive refurbishment?
Ruislip Police Station is our second counter serving the North of Hillingdon. Again quite small and in need of refurbishment. Will it happen? Ruislip, asbestos has been discovered. Expensive to remove and makes refurbishment more unlikely. I suspect that once Uxbridge has been sold and given up, Ruislip will be closed and all we will be left with is an unsuitable Police Station in Hayes.
Uxbridge offered 24 hour access and front counter making it a reassuring safe haven that could easily be reached. The argument was that the front counter was under used but Uxbridge was more that just a front counter. Police Stations are places of refuge, security and reassurance.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter what the public wants; it is down to money and Uxbridge is an attractive site for developers to build expensive flats, whereas Hayes is not. Uxbridge is in the commuter belt and you can be in central London within 45 minutes.
So should Uxbridge Police Station have a 'Building Preservation Order' placed on it? It would certainly make it less attractive to Building Developers.
So contact your MP or Councillor if you care about Uxbridge Police Station and want it saved.
Update: 9 May 2019. the front counter at Ruislip station will be permanently closed with effect from 31 July 2019. Reason - the front office is needed for other specialist departments which are moving into Ruislip station. Members of the public living in the north of the borough will have then have a journey of more than one hour to go to police Hayes station to report a crime etc.
Is this the first move before we lose Ruislip Police Station?
