WE write to express our concern over Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service’s plans to downgrade Alcester Fire Station to a part-time operation only two years after the closure of Studley Fire Station and the commissioning of a whole-time crew at Alcester.
At the time of the Alcester upgrade in 2012, the chief fire officer gave assurances to residents the changes would provide a faster guaranteed response time, increased community fire safety activity and provide a full-time fire engine based in the area 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In scrapping the chief fire officer’s guarantees, residents have a right to know how much public money has been spent in upgrading the fire station in Alcester and how many homes will be affected by the extension of the emergency response time from 10 to 20 minutes. We will therefore be demanding this through a Freedom of Information request.
The primary blame for this proposal lies with the Liberal Democrats who supported a Tory budget cut of £2.4m in the county’s fire and rescue service. We will vigorously oppose these proposals.
Andrew Foster, prospective Labour candidate for Alcester ward Wayne Bates, prospective Labour candidate Studley ward
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