Staffordshire fire stations saved as downgrade axed

Kinver, Codsall and Bilbrook and Brewood stations were all due to have their emergency cover removed under initial proposals by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service to help them save £1.7 million.

Emergency capability in the county would have gone down from 42 pumps at 33 stations to 15 pumps at 15 stations.

South Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson launched a petition calling for Kinver, Brewood and Codsall and Bilbrook to keep their engines, collecting more than 2,800 names. Kinver and Codsall and Bilbrook stations are still in the process of being built.

Despite the u-turn, he still presented the petition in Parliament last night.

"I welcome the recommendation being put to the fire authority but wanted to leave councillors in no doubt about the strength of feeling," he said.

"We are all very proud of the dedication, commitment and selflessness of firefighters but they were being let down by the original proposals.

"The entire thing has been a fiasco. Millions of pounds of public money has been spent on refurbishing fire stations.

"Some are still being built and faced the prospect of being downgraded."

Mr Williamson claimed the level of public feeling against the proposal had influenced the recommendation to abandon the idea.

He added: "That vast groundswell of public opinion against the proposals has made the chief fire officer realise that course of action was utterly ridiculous. I think the public response had shocked the fire service.

"Residents would not have been safe with the level of cover proposed.

"I just hope the fire authority follow through with the recommendations.

"If they do there will be a huge sigh of relief in South Staffordshire."

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has instead put forward changes that would remove an engine from other stations in the county, including at Cannock, Rugeley and Stone.

A second appliance in Lichfield will be replaced under the proposed changes by a targeted response vehicle – typically used for smaller fires.

The move would save £1,131,500 but chiefs have not yet said where they would find the extra £568,500 of savings required this year.

Chief fire officer Peter Dartford has recommended that the original plan is rejected by the Fire and Rescue Authority when they discuss the future of the service on Monday.

David Greensmith, director of finance, assets and resources at the fire service, said: "The approach taken by the authority will clearly need to be completely revisited should the recommendations be rejected on Monday."