Fresh concerns over proposed changes to Warwickshire fire service after series of incidents
FRESH concerns have been raised about plans to overhaul Warwickshire’s fire service, which could leave just one fire appliance based at Stratford to cover a vast area.
Proposals to scrap on-call fire services at six stations in the county went out to public consultation in December and closed on 10th March.
Bidford, Henley, Kenilworth, Shipston, Fenny Compton and Polesworth would be turned into ‘surge’ stations, which a Warwickshire County Council report describes as teams “available for recall in the event of significant incidents or periods of high demand”. The current day full-time team at Gaydon could also become a surge team.
Analysis and recommendations from the consultation on Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Resourcing to Risk proposals are expected to be considered by cabinet at next month’s meeting.
In the meantime, many residents are worried about how the service would cope with night-time incidents, if the proposed operational changes go ahead. Critics cite the example of 19th April, when there were three night-time fires across the county within a short time.
Two were in Leamington and needed assistance from Wellesbourne and Kenilworth firefighters.
But under the surge proposals, neither of those stations would have been available at night.
The other incident which alarmed many was the Crowne Plaza hotel fire in Stratford on 29th April, when 100 people had to be evacuated. At its peak, more than 40 firefighters from eight Warwickshire crews, including appliances from Gaydon and Bidford, were involved.
Wellesbourne resident and chartered surveyor Mark Freeman said: “I asked the chief fire officer if he considers these proposals a dereliction of duty, because I cannot see how any chief fire officer can propose something for public consultation that increases the response times of his crews by such a significant margin as their own information was proposing. I am absolutely staggered that they made those proposals.”
He added: “Under these plans, the entire south of Warwickshire from Shipston across to the M40 and up to pretty much Leamington and as far as Alcester would be covered by one appliance based at Stratford.
“There are so many significant risks in and around Stratford, especially when the hotels are full in summer, it is lunacy.”
Jacqui Harris, Reform UK’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Kenilworth and Southam, said: “I don’t think they have answered my questions properly and I am not sure it is a proper consultation – I think they are rushing to judgement. This proposal would leave a lot of the area uncovered. There are serious flaws in the plans and I think it’s dangerous.”
Investigations regarding the incident at the Crowne Plaza are still ongoing and WFRS says it will conduct a full review of the premises’ fire risk assessment and fire safety measures before the hotel reopens.
A WFRS spokesperson said: “From December 2023 to March 2024, we invited views and feedback on a Resourcing to Risk proposal via a public consultation. We are grateful to everyone who completed the survey and took the time to join us at one of the information sessions that were held around Warwickshire at the start of this year.
“As part of the consultation, we received 1,300 survey responses and we have also heard the views of staff, partners, and representative bodies.
“To carry out a comprehensive analysis of this feedback, we are dedicating the necessary time to carefully review and understand all the input received before also ensuring any recommendations are thoroughly assessed and right for Warwickshire.
“Once this process is completed, a date will be set for any new proposal to be presented to WCC’s cabinet, acting as the fire authority.”
In answer to how WFRS would be able to respond, particularly to night-time emergencies, the spokesperson replied: “…given that the public consultation on the original Resourcing to Risk proposal has closed, how we might have responded to these incidents under the original proposal is considered to be no longer relevant.”
