TEDDINGTON Police Station's site should be used for community facilities and affordable housing, local MP Munira Wilson has said.

The police station on Park Road closed permanently last year due to cuts imposed by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

It is now on sale with Knight Frank and being advertised as an "exciting development opportunity situated in the heart of Teddington."

Teddington's MP Munira Wilson, who lobbied against the closure of the station, has now written along with Richmond Council Leader Gareth Roberts to the Mayor urging him to "provide clear guidance" to those in charge of the building's sale.

"Community use, affordable and social housing should be a priority when assessing the value of any bid for Teddington Police Station. The area does not need yet more luxury flats," the pair wrote.

"Given your overarching responsibility as Police & Crime Commissioner for London, but also your strong commitment to delivering more affordable and social housing across the capital, we would urge you to provide clear guidance to the Deputy Mayor for Policing, MOPAC and MPS Property Services to exercise their discretion over this proposal."

Wilson and Roberts said that a "credible bid" for the station had been made by a nearby doctor's surgery "in urgent and desperate need of relocation and expansion," along with a housing association.

They noted that the station is now on the open market despite the offer.

The pair added that they have met with Sophie Linden, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, an MPS Property Services to discuss the matter.

"It was made clear to us that MPS Property Services was tasked with generating maximum financial return from the sale," they said.

"Both you and Sophie Linden have stated on the record that MOPAC has a statutory duty to secure the best value for the disposal of assets by the Met Police.

"However, there is no specific duty on the face of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, which established MOPAC, requiring the body to achieve best value or best consideration for an asset.

"Additionally, "best value" in the Revised Financial Management Code of Practice issued in 2018, to which MOPAC must have due regard, does not amount to a specific requirement to dispose at market value."

Commenting on the letter, Wilson said: "When we heard that Teddington Police Station was to be closed, I fought to keep it open, as part of my broader efforts to hold the Government to account on its promises of more police officers on our streets.

"Now that Teddington Police Station is for sale, we must ensure that we maximise the social and community benefit of the site– not just sell to the highest bidder."

It comes after Park Road GP Surgery, located just across the road from the old police station, urged patients and residents to comment on the Richmond Council Local Plan, asking that it requires Park Road Surgery to be relocated to the station's site as part of any redevelopment.