Current front counter hours to continue during and after construction of boys school

The Metropolitan Police Service have reassured the Fulham community that, though the police station in Heckfield Place has closed, its service remains unchanged.

A spokesperson says: " Although the station is closed, there is and will a fully operational front counter in which the public can continue to have direct contact with the Metropolitan Police Service.

" The way the local community access the MPS in Fulham, whether it’s to report a crime or hand in a mobile phone, will stay the same.

" There will continue to be a public access front counter at the current Fulham Police Station site with the same opening times - Tuesday to Friday 9am till 5pm and Saturday 12pm - 8pm sharing a building with Fulham Boys Free School throughout the construction period and into the future."

Plans revealed to the public at an exhibition last week show a front counter office within the new building facing Fulham Road and promise to include a temporary building on the site during construction.

The Met spokesperson says: " As part of the agreement between the Education Funding Agency and the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime it is the responsibility of the EFA to provide a suitable, temporary location from which the Metropolitan Police Service will operate our public access front counter.

" When the temporary provision is sought, it will meet all front counter requirements that the Met has set out and continue to operate during the times, it always has done.

" Until it is arranged, we will continue to use the existing front counter. "

The Met say that as well as accessing police face to face at the front counters, they can also call their local Safer Neighbourhood Team.

It is believed that Fulham's Safer Neighbourhood Teams have moved to the Empress State Building in Lillie Road. The spokesperson says: " Although the SNT may be based out of a different location, all contact numbers will still reach their SNT."

Police say that Fulham Police Station was underutilised, outdated and costly to run and that police were occupying just 35% of the building.

They add that changes at the Fulham Police Station site and the provision of modernised facilities will result in lower estate costs. It will also enable capital receipts to be reinvested into frontline policing, new and improved facilities at other Police Stations such as Hammersmith, new vehicles, as well as the IT necessary to improve officer performance and overall deliver a better service to the public.

A planning application is expected to be submitted this month to H&F Council to demolish the current building and redevelop the site to include a police front counter, maintaining the current police public access provision for the communities of Fulham, The Fulham Boys School, nine new homes and facilities available for possible community use.

June 16, 2016