Although the police station’s opening hours will still be reduced, the Met has been persuaded against closing it completely

Edmonton Police Station’s front counter will remain open after the Metropolitan Police U-turned on a swathe of controversial closures across London.

The Met had previously announced that both Edmonton and Tottenham police stations would be closing to the public, among 18 in the capital that were set to be axed.

After a huge backlash over the past two months, however, the Met is scaling back its closure plans and today (Wednesday 15^th) announced that 27 front counters will be remaining open, including Edmonton and Tottenham.

While the stations currently both operate 24 hours a day, their public opening times will be reducing significantly, to 10am-10pm on weekdays and 9am-7pm on weekends.

But the news of the U-turn on full closure has been welcomed by Enfield Council leader Ergin Erbil, as it means it will still be possible for local residents to report a crime or share information with police officers in person, without travelling outside the borough.

Cllr Erbil said: “I am delighted that the Metropolitan Police have listened to our concerns and decided to keep the Edmonton Police Station front counter open.

“Since we first heard about the proposals to close it, my team and I have pressed both the mayor [Sir Sadiq Khan] and the government to rethink the proposal.

“We have pushed hard every step of the way, making clear that closing Enfield’s only front counter would have left residents without an accessible place to report crime and seek help in person.

“This decision is a real victory for our community.”

The Met claims that even with the changes to its plans, it will still deliver the same savings of £7million, helping to close a total £260m funding gap.

It says the new model “balances the savings with the desire for local access” and that the location of front counters will now be “better aligned with the location of custody suites and demand”.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said: “The Met is having to shrink to live within its means and as the public would expect, we are targeting our resources on a narrower set of their priorities to make London safer.

“Londoners tell us they want more visible and responsive policing on the capital’s streets and that is exactly what we are going to deliver.

“But we have also listened to their views during an extensive engagement process and, while our funding gap means we must reduce provision, we will keep more front counters open across London.”

Khan has also welcomed the news, despite it meaning his 2024 election manifesto promise to maintain a 24/7 police front counter in every London borough will still be broken.

The London mayor said: “The news that more police front counters will remain open for members of the public is welcome.

“Whilst this is an operational policing decision, this action would not have been possible without record-breaking funding from City Hall. We will continue to support the Met to deliver what Londoners want – boosting visible neighbourhood policing on our streets and making local officers more accessible in our communities.

“We want to do more to build on the record reductions in violence and homicides achieved in the capital, and I will continue to support the police and make the case to government for the funding the Met needs – to ensure we can continue building a safer London for everyone.”

At present, only 5% of crimes in London are reported at police stations, down from 22% in 2006.

The Met says the changes now proposed will free up over 2,900 hours of police officer time per month, “ensuring officers and staff are in the roles where they are best placed to drive down crime”.

Enfield North MP Feryal Clark also welcomed the news Edmonton Police Station will not now be closed to the public. She said: “I’m pleased that, following my correspondence with the Met Police commissioner and the mayor of London, the Edmonton front counter will now remain open, rather than being closed entirely.

“This is an important step in keeping local policing accessible for residents who still rely on face-to-face support and advice. Many people – particularly older residents, victims of crime, and those without easy access to online reporting – value having a safe, local place to seek help and advice.

“While this outcome isn’t ideal, I welcome the fact that the Met and the mayor have listened to local concerns and rethought their original proposal. Having at least one accessible point of contact is vital for residents who need to report issues or seek help in person.”

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