Bedworth Conservatives Join March on Shire Hall To Save Firestation

Warwick town centre was brought to a standstill this Sunday, as local fire fighters and campaigners gathered for a final push to save seven threatened Warwickshire fire stations ahead of the end of a public consultation on their potential closure.

The consultation closes on Tue 8 December, and a broad coalition of campaigners rallied at Warwick Race Course and marched on Shire Hall to leave policy makers in no doubt about the strength of public feeling.

Organised by Karen Scarrott, an independent Warwick District Councillor, the march was attended by a wide alliance of groups including the Fire Brigade Union, the Retained Firefighters Union, and local Conservative campaigners including Jeremy Wright MP, Dan Byles (Parliamentary Candidate for North Warwickshire & Bedworth) and Chris White (Parliamentary Candidate for Warwick & Leamington).

Dan Byles, who addressed the rally from the steps of Shire Hall, believes that the proposal to close Bedworth Fire Station is a mistake. He explains why:

"The suggestion that Bedworth Fire Station can be safely closed is completely wrong. When I was a soldier I was responsible for emergency response planning for NATO troops in Bosnia and Kosovo, and I am only too aware of the need for robust emergency response cover.

"There are many reasons why the arguments to close Bedworth don't add up, but of particular concern are the Government's plans to impose thousands of new houses in and around Bedworth. Only last Monday the Housing Minister, John Healey, announced his desire to see a new 5,000 house 'ecotown' built right next to Bedworth. If that happens it is unthinkable that Bedworth fire station could be closed.

"The bottom line is, you cannot make a major change to the emergency services like this without bringing local people with you. It is quite clear that the people of Bedworth have no confidence in these proposals, and the Chief fire Officer should think again."