John Innes Elliott
British architect
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John Innes Elliott CBE FRSA (13 November 1912 – 3 December 1989) was a British architect who, for twenty-seven years, was the surveyor and chief architect for the Metropolitan Police in London. He held the post from 1947 until his retirement in 1974. He was the seventh architect to hold the post since its inception in 1842. He took over the role from Gilbert Mackenzie Trench, who retired in 1945. Elliott's designs were carried out in the brutalist style.
Life and career
Born in Liverpool, Elliott trained at the Liverpool School of Architecture between 1930 and 1935, where he was tutored by Lionel Bailey Budden and Charles Herbert Reilly. Elliott gained employment as an architectural assistant to a travel company in Wallasey,[1] which he coincided with his studies. In the late 1930s he worked for the Office of Works in the branch for Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings. During the war he assisted in the design of post-war housing. In the 1940s he moved to London where he was appointed the surveyor to the Metropolitan Police in 1947, after the retirement of Gilbert Mackenzie Trench two years previously.
Elliott was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1974 New Year Honours list and retired later that year, having completed his designs for the buildings within Hendon Police College, Colindale.[2]
Partial list of buildings
| Name | Photograph | Opened | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brixton Police Station |  |
1953 | Open and operational.[3] | |
| Acton Police Station |  |
Open and operational | ||
| Albany Street Police Station |  |
1960 | Closed to the public in 2013. | |
| Whetstone Police Station |  |
1960 | Closed to the public in 2013. Now a school. | |
| Holborn Police Station |  |
1962[4] | Still in use. | |
| Greenwich Police Station, 31 Royal Hill, Greenwich. |  |
1962 | Closed to the public in 2018. Remains operational. | |
| Chadwell Heath Police Station | 1962 | Closed and sold. Made a religious building in 2014.[5] | ||
| Lavender Hill Police Station and Magistrates Court,176 Lavender Hill, Battersea.[6] | 1963 | Operational | ||
| Holloway Police Station, 284 Hornsey Road, Islington.[7] | 1965 | Closed and sold in 2017. | ||
| Enfield Police Station, London Road, Enfield | .jpg) |
1965 | Remains in operation, as of 2024. | |
| Croydon Police Station | 1967 | Operational | ||
| Brentford Police Station[8][9] | .jpg) |
1967 | Closed to the public in 2013. | |
| Finchley Police Station, 193 Ballards Lane, Finchley, London Borough of Barnet |  |
1967 | Sold in 2014 for redevelopment. Now flats.[10] | |
| Woodford Police Station | 1968 | Closed to the public in 2013. | ||
| West Ham Police Station | 1969 | Closed to the public in 2019. | ||
| Ponders End Police Station | 1969 | Sold in 2012, demolished and developed into housing.[11] | ||
| Stratford Police Station, West Ham Lane | 1969 | |||
| Southgate Police Station, 59 Crown Lane, Southgate |  |
1970 | Closed in 2014. Redevelopment into flats considered in 2024.[12] | |
| Paddington Green Police Station |  |
1971 | ||
| Leman Street Police Station | 1971 | Closed to the public in 2017, although still operational. | ||
| Chiswick Police Station | 1972 | Closed to the public in 2017. | ||
| Hendon Police College |  |
1974 | Buildings on the site include the Peel buildings, tower blocks, and traffic garage and driving school. Demolished 2013-14. | |
| Southall Police Station, 1 North Road, Southall. | 1975 | Designed in 1974/5 by Brewer Smith Brewer Group (BSBG), in association with Innes Elliott. Built by Miller Buckley Construction. Work commenced in 1973. Completed in 1975. Opened by Sir Robert Mark in December 1976. Closed to the public in 2017, but remains operational.[13] | ||