Final chance to have say on proposed fire station closures in Wiltshire

Today is the final opportunity to have our say on proposals to shut eight on-call fire stations in Dorset and Wiltshire.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) says it's been left no choice but to look at closing facilities in an effort to address funding gaps, which have been caused due to the inability to increase our contribution through council tax precept and Government funding cuts over several years.

Since merging in 2016, the organisation has made over £15 million in savings.

But the organisation is now considering shutting stations, with four in Wiltshire station - Wilton, Mere, Ramsbury and Bradford on Avon - and four in Dorset - Cranbourne, Maiden Newton, Hamworthy and Charmouth - all at risk.

A public consultation, which has been open since February, closes today at 5pm - we can have our say here.

The Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) will make its final decision on 30th June.

"We don't want to be here again"

MP's have been engaging with central Government, although they were criticised by FRA vice-chair, Paul Oatway, for not acting soon enough to prevent the discussion of closures.

Whilst the consultation has been open, MP's have moved to speak to the Fire Minister, with Salisbury MP John Glen saying she "understood the problem".

Mr Glen said he hoped that the dialogue would lead to Chief Fire Officer, Andy Cole, having reassurances about grants and precept to ensure stations can stay open.

He said: "What I'm hoping is that we'll be able to have a constructive and reliable plan for how to fund the fire service in Wiltshire and Dorset into the future. We don't want to be coming back to this issue in a couple of years' time."

The Conservative MP stressed the importance of a "fire service the public have confidence in".

DWFRS accepts that if stations close, there will be a greater risk to the public as a result, insisting it's not a move it wants to make.

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