The road closures after the dramatic fire at Forest Gate police station on March 6th have left local businesses angry, report the Newham Voices team.

Firefighters attend the nocturnal blaze on March 6th — Firefighters at the scene on March 6th

Angry residents and local traders living and working around the Forest Gate Police Station, which was closed after a dramatic fire on March 6, have complained about being abandoned and ignored in the aftermath of the blaze.

The fire led to the closure of one of Newham’s main transport arteries, the Romford Road, disrupting the lives of thousands of people as buses were forced into lengthy diversions.

Local businesses, including hotels that house dozens of families living in temporary council accommodation, have seen their trade fall and residents have been badly affected by changes in the local road management system.

When Newham Voices investigated the aftermath of the fire at the end of March anger was growing among people and firms affected by a lack of information from both the police and the Council about when the disruption will end.

“You are the first people to come and see us and ask us about the situation,” said Kalpesh Patel who, with his wife Priti, has for 40 years run the local corner shop next to the junction of Green Street and Romford Road. “Our business has collapsed completely. We’ve never seen anything like this.”

Two people stand in front of a corner shop — Kalpesh and Priti Patel outside their shop

Almost all passing trade has disappeared, he said, with buses and road diversions in place.

“Everyone is complaining about the situation,” he said. “We have not heard from the police or the Council. We haven’t been told anything.”

The same story was told by the owner of the barber shop Subhan at 11 Green Street who said that 75 percent of his business had disappeared as a result of loss of passing trade.

The lack of information was the most common complaint from businesses around the station, which was extensively damaged in the fire which burnt out the roof and upper part of the building and led to a major response with around 175 firefighters and 30 fire engines tackling the blaze at its height.

After the blaze a police presence was available to give people advice in the following days, but the locals say they soon disappeared with promises that a temporary front-office for police work would be set up at Stratford Police station in West Ham lane.

This temporary office was established in a mobile police unit, but with no clear markings or signposting, there was little to suggest this was anything other than another parked police vehicle outside the Stratford station which is not open for public walk-in.

The only sign to guide people was a small note on the front of the Stratford station saying a front office will open to the public soon, meanwhile people could go to the “front-office” in nearby Bryant Street where the mobile vehicle was parked.

The lack of information available to the public was also evident back at Forest Gate where there were no signs at all or any notices pinned to the extensive fencing structure around the stricken police station.

Particularly badly affected by the road closure in the aftermath of the fire were three hotels facing the police station which have been badly affected.

“Some of our residents are families with children and they have had to make long walks to get to the shops and to schools because of the road closure,” said Omar Faruk, Manager of the Greenleaf Hotel, who said that loss of footfall meant fewer guests and there were problems because rubbish couldn’t be collected and was piling up and laundry services were affected.

“We used to feel safe with the police only two minutes away, now we feel exposed and a solution should be found. All we want to know is what happens next.”

Similar concerns were expressed at the Hartley Hotel and the Silver Birch Hotel nearby where a staff member told Newham Voices: “No-one has been to see us or to help. We have been left with no support.”

The Council and the Metropolitan Police have been approached for comments.

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