Coleshill Fire Station Public Meeting - Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Dan Byles Went To Listen

Dan Byles, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for North Warwickshire & Bedworth, last night attended the latest public meeting being held to discuss controversial proposals which could see up to seven fire stations closing across Warwickshire.

The meeting at Coleshill was chaired by County Councillor Peter Fowler, and also present were County Councillor and Portfolio Holder Richard Hobbes, and both the Chief Fire Officer (Graeme Smith) and senior fire officer Simon Frost for Warwickshire.

This was the third public meeting to be held in the constituency of North Warwickshire, with meetings already held in Atherstone and in Bedworth. The final meeting, in Polesworth, will be held on Thu 19 November.

The meeting took the form of a presentation by Chief Fire Officer Graeme Smith on the proposals for a radical shake up of the Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service, followed by a question and answer session. Graeme Smith argued that the requirement for additional training for fire fighters, and the need to ensure reliable availability of fire engines, meant that reforms were necessary elsewhere. The proposals also include a stronger emphasis on prevention, with more home visits and a programme to increase the number of smoke detectors in the county.

The proposals are controversial however, and could result in a number of fire stations being closed or moved, and a reduction in the number of retained fire fighters.

The Coleshill meeting was attended by approximately fifty local people, including a number of serving and retired fire fighters. The meeting saw some heated comments from the floor, as some local people expressed their strong concerns over some aspects of the proposals.

Speaking after the meeting, Dan Byles had this to say:

“This is the third public meeting I have attended over the issue of the fire service reforms, and I am reassured by some of the language that the Chief Fire Officer is using. Graeme Smith has made it increasingly clear that he is listening to the concerns of local people, and that he will be looking closely at these proposals to see whether he needs to amend them before finally presenting them to the County Council to vote on.

“I am very pleased that the proposals are to keep two full fire engines at Coleshill, both to be available 24 hours a day. That will be a good outcome for Coleshill.

"There are some concerns by local fire fighters, however, over the proposed crewing structure for these two fire engines. But the Chief Fire Officer said that they would review the crew requirements in the light of the concerns raised, and Councillor Hobbes also took that concern on board. I will be watching closely to see how they ultimately respond to these concerns.

“I also have concerns over the potential loss of a number of our retained fire fighters. These are highly experienced and dedicated individuals.

“But over all I was pleased at what the Chief was proposing for Coleshill. As long as they resource the local station with sufficient crew to man the two fire engines, then Coleshill will clearly retain robust fire cover.

“I remain far more concerned about the potential for Bedworth to lose its fire station as a result of these proposals, and I am continuing my campaign to appeal to local people to write in to make their views known over this.

“The deadline to have your say is 8 Dec 2009, and the address to write to is:

“Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Improvement Plan Consultation, Service Headquarters, Warwick Street, Leamington Spa, CV32 5LH

“As a former soldier, I know only too well the need for robust emergency and disaster response plans. I will continue to play a full role in this consultation to ensure that Warwickshire doesn’t lose that.”