Plan to "support and protect" Oxfordshire's fire service is passed by council
It comes months after the pausing of plans to close three on-call fire stations amid public and union outcry.
A plan to “support and protect” Oxfordshire’s fire service has been passed months after the pausing of plans to close three on-call fire stations amid public and union outcry.
After a summer of drought and extreme heat, the county council unanimously voted yesterday, Tuesday, September 8, to take several steps “to support and protect our fire service, our communities, and our rural landscape which is susceptible to uncontrolled burning”.
Following approval at cabinet, this means the authority will work with the service and union to “understand their needs, considering the conditions they now face”, ensure “wildfire prevention and management is a priority for the Climate Adaptation Team”, collaborate with rural communities, and work with Trading Standards and Licensing Authorities “to ensure the sale of fireworks, and firework displays are managed responsibly”.
The motion was put forward by Vale of White Horse District Council Leader and county councillor Bethia Thomas (Lib Dem).
She described waking to a “plume of smoke hanging in the air and fires ripping through tinder-dry grasslands as people lost their homes”.
Ms Thomas said: “I did not want this motion to focus solely on climate emergency – I think that what we are seeing now is a clear sign that the world is starting to burn.”
She explained that firefighters in Faringdon have “felt like they were on their knees” this summer.
She added: “It isn’t just the time spent at an incident, it’s the impact on sleep, family life, work and recovery."
“The firefighters of Farringdon have continued to work to turn up when their community has needed them, despite the demands being placed on them."
“They deserve enormous credit for that commitment, particularly through what has been an incredibly busy and exhausting summer."
“So I am here to give credit, to keep them relaxed right now, by raising this motion and asking for the actions listed within it to be taken seriously. ”
This comes less than six months after the scrapping of plans to shut stations at Woodstock, Eynsham and Henley due to “persistent low availability of on-call crews”.
Potential future closures at Rewley Road and Kidlington remain on the table.
County opposition leader and West Oxfordshire councillor, Liam Walker (Conservative), said: “It says in the motion, quite a good point, this Council seeks to support and protect our fire service."
“I couldn’t possibly let that slip without reminding councillor Thomas that it was her Lib Dem colleagues who only some time ago were actually proposing to close fire stations in Oxfordshire."
“So I’ll indeed have that printed and framed when the inevitable closures come back or hopefully don’t come back to this council.”
He added: “I just again want to reiterate and remind Liberal Democrat colleagues what their plans were earlier in the year."
“Let’s put that to bed once and for all."
“They are still potentially due to come back and finally get behind our fire officers who do an incredible job of keeping us all safe.”
The proposal was passed on the day of the inquest opening for the fatal fire at Bicester Motion, where firefighters Martyn Sadler, 38, and Jennie Logan, 30, along with father-of-two Dave Chester, 57, died in May 2025.
County councillor for Bicester North, Matt Webb (Lib Dem) said: “It is quite clear that if the Bicester Motion Fire is a tragedy, it is also a reminder of how dangerous that job is, and I think it is our duty to make sure we do what we can to minimise wildfires so they don’t have to attend more.”