Notting Hill police station acquires AVC protection

On 1 November, the Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) announced – as expected – that its conclusions after the public consultation regarding the plans to save 400 million by closing down 41 police stations in London was that the plan should go ahead. This means that Notting Hill police station will close in a few month’s time, and MPOAC will then try to sell it to the highest bidder.

However, Kensington Society had then already applied for the building to be made an ACV (Asset of Community Value), and on 7 November the council approved this. The Met can appeal against this ruling, but in the meantime the property has the protection of an ACV.

Why did we do this? Well, following the loss of the Vicarage Gate care home and the Princes Louise hospital, the council added policy CK1 to the RBKC Core Strategy. This policy states that land and/or buildings which have (or had immediately before closure) social or community use, must continue to be of social or community use if at all possible, so the council will resist any change of use to something else as long as social or community use is possible. Notting Hill police station could be converted to a very useful community centre for various activities that are needed in the area: GP surgery, nursing home, school for children with special needs, meeting rooms for local organisations, a hub for the new ward police system… The possibilities are endless and the need is great.

We will do our outmost to prevent Notting Hill police station from meeting the same fate that Chelsea police station did in 2015, when it was sold to an anonymous tax haven company, which a few months later sold it on to another tax haven company, which now hopes to turn the site into another luxury flat complex which this borough doesn’t need.

We are not going to allow the loss of our community properties without a fight.