Liberal Democrats Fight to Save Canada Water Police Hub

Canada Water, Rotherhithe and Surrey Quays could lose their dedicated police base, after Labour have failed at every level of government to secure a new location for neighbourhood officers.

The Liberal Democrats have written to the Mayor of London and are urging Southwark Labour to take responsibility and act, before Canada Water loses its police base for good.

The local police team, currently based at Seven Islands Leisure Centre, is being evicted due to the building’s closure. Despite this being planned for years, no replacement location has been secured. It's understood that various sites have been offered to the Met, but no agreement has been reached - meaning Canada Water may soon be left without a local police presence.

This is despite the   three local Rotherhithe ward councillors, the Council leadership, and the Mayor of London - who oversees the Metropolitan Police - all being Labour politicians.

Liberal Democrats are calling on the Mayor to intervene and back the use of Canada Water Library as an interim police base. The library is owned by the Council, making it fully within Labour’s power to offer and deliver.

The call comes amid rising concern about phone snatching, anti-social behaviour, and bike and vehicle thefts in the area. Liberal Democrat councillors have also proposed doubling the number of council-employed community safety officers, but Labour voted this down in the last budget.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Surrey Docks Cllr Adam Hood said:

“Labour run the ward, the council and City Hall. There is no one else to blame. Their failure to act means Rotherhithe could now lose its police hub completely. We’ve put forward a practical solution - use Canada Water Library as a base now - and Labour must stop dragging their feet and get on with it.”

JK Doran, Rotherhithe resident, said:

“When I speak with my neighbours, the first thing that always comes up is the rise of phone snatching and anti-social behaviour in the area. It’s worrying that we could lose our local police base entirely, especially as the area prepares to welcome so many new homes. On the Rotherhithe Peninsula, we need more visible policing and not less – so I’m fully behind the Lib Dems’ push to fix this and give the Met a base.”