Longer fire response times concern raised with Commissioner

Labour politicians and activists met with the county’s Conservative Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner this week over planned cutbacks to fire cover in York.

Cllr Claire Douglas, Leader of the opposition Labour Group; Cllr Pete Kilbane, Deputy Leader; Luke Charters, York Outer Labour Parliamentary Candidate and a local resident and Labour activist met with Zoe Metcalfe to make the case against her proposal of cuts to Huntington Fire Station.

York Labour are becoming increasingly concerned that residents have not been given the full picture of the impact of the cuts to Huntington Fire Station, with research indicating much longer callout times without a full-time crew based there.

North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service received the 11th lowest level of funding nationally from council tax at the turn of the year – one of its main sources of income. Combined with years of cuts, this has left the service’s finances in a perilous position.

York Labour is calling for more transparency around the devastating impact further cuts could have on York residents.

Luke Charters, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for York Outer, said:

“I’m becoming increasingly nervous that the Conservative Commissioner’s ‘consultation’ is simply a ‘tick box’ exercise to justify further Tory cuts to the fire service”.

“York residents need to have the full picture of the dangerous impact the cuts to Huntington Fire Station could have. That’s why we called on the Commissioner to publish data they have modelled, which could show the impact on fire response times for each area”.

“I also recently met several families living on the outskirts of Strensall who are concerned about the growing threat of wildfires on Strensall Common. With the climate emergency and recent heatwave, it’s the wrong time to cut fire station cover which serves many of our rural communities”.

“I also invited the Commissioner to visit my family member’s home that was saved by Huntington Fire Crew earlier this year.”

York Labour says that, if the Commissioner genuinely wants to run a serious and meaningful consultation, they should:

1. Publish the impact of planned service cuts on Fire Engine response times by location;
2. Having done this, extend the consultation beyond 14th August so that residents have more time to understand the impacts of the proposals.

Local resident and Labour activist in Huntington & New Earswick, Hughie Ferguson said:

“I’m genuinely worried about the impact these proposed cuts could have on communities across the north side of our city. This planned move from a full-time crew at Huntington Fire Station to an on-call part-time crew could have devastating impacts on residents, and some of those impacts don’t bear thinking about.

“I hope the Commissioner will listen to the strong message coming back to her from residents and local politicians and think again”.

The consultation closes on 14th August. Residents can have their say by responding to the consultation on the www.northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk.