Wiltshire MP makes final plea to save local fire station
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Authority is currently consulting on the closure of eight fire stations
A Wiltshire MP has made a final plea to save his local fire station ahead of the end of a major public consultation exercise on Friday.
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Authority is currently consulting on the closure of eight fire stations on cost grounds.
The closures would mean the loss of 96 firefighter roles, which the Fire Brigades Union says would put the lives of residents at risk.
In Wiltshire, the threatened fire stations are at Bradford on Avon, Ramsbury, Mere, and Wilton.
In Dorset they are at Charmouth, Cranborne, Hamworthy, and Maiden Newton.
This week, Brian Mathew – the Devizes & Melksham MP whose constituency includes Bradford on Avon, wrote to Fire Authority chair Clare Weight.
“Bradford on Avon is the busiest of the eight stations under consultation for closure,” he said.
“Its firefighters respond to more than 100 recorded incidents each year and provide essential standby cover to neighbouring stations such as Trowbridge – activity that is not reflected in the consultation data.
“If the station were to close, average response times in the area would increase by almost three minutes, with the difference expected to be markedly greater for some of the surrounding villages.”
He added: “I want to be clear that my support extends beyond Bradford on Avon. All eight stations play a critical role in upholding the resilience of the wider Service.
“More than 60 per cent of the incidents they attend occur outside their own station catchment areas.
“Removing even one station would have an impact on the operational capability of the Service at a time when climate change is exerting increased pressure due to more frequent flooding, wildfires, and extreme weather events.”
The MP – who back in March led a parliamentary debate on fire station closures – acknowledged the “acute financial challenges” faced by the fire service.
And he said he would be meeting fire minister Samantha Dixon, during which he would be seeking “a clear path forward for the Service to access the additional funding it needs to keep these stations operational.”
“Difficult decisions lie ahead in terms of how we fund many of our public services, but our communities recognise and value the outstanding contribution of their on-call firefighters – individuals who pause their jobs and family lives at a moment’s notice to keep others safe,” he said.
“We cannot afford to lose them or the stations they serve.”