Councillors condemn decision to go ahead with Huntington fire station cuts

Following the news that the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has approved the cuts to Huntington fire station crew, local councillors from wards set to be most impacted by the changes have hit out at the decision, branding it ‘outrageous and dangerous’.

Earlier today, the PFCC Zoë Metcalfe approved the controversial risk and resource model, which will see Huntington fire station change from a full time station to an ‘on-call’ station, with Huntington’s full time firefighters redeployed to other stations and the station’s full-time fire engine removed. This change is expected to have a considerable impact on response times in the area.

This decision comes despite overwhelming condemnation of the proposals from residents and councillors across York. Earlier in August a petition set up by Liberal Democrat councillors representing communities in the North of York and signed by more than 1800 residents calling for the plan to be abandoned was submitted to the Commissioner.

Responding to the decision, Strensall ward councillor Tony Fisher commented: 

“It’s incredibly disappointing to see the Commissioner proceed with these dangerous proposals. She has completely ignored the thousands of residents most directly impacted by the cuts, who have been rightly angered by the plans. Outrageously, she has also chosen to ignore repeated warnings over the impact that these cuts will have on the fire crew’s capacity to respond to calls, where every single minute matters.

“This plan is nothing more than a cut in fire and rescue services for over 30,000 people in the city and many more beyond York.  It is yet another example of Conservatives cutting crucial public services. This dangerous decision, just before the role of the Commissioner is set to be abolished as part of the region’s devolution deal, is one that will have serious consequences for our residents.

“This is simply unacceptable, so we will continue to fight for Huntington Fire Station Crew to be saved.”

Councillor Keith Aspden, Council Leader and Vice-Chair of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel, added:

“York residents and the Council, following the approval of a cross party motion, are clear in their condemnation of these plans. I will be writing to the Secretary of State and relevant Ministers to bring our serious concerns to their attention and urge them to provide adequate long term funding that would ensure the service is not forced to make decisions such as this.  

“The chronic long term underfunding of the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service will continue to affect its resilience, unless there is the political will nationally to change the funding formula. Things are only going to get worse and the decisions facing Fire service’s future even more difficult, unless the Conservative government actually takes action which recognises this.”