Agenda item

Proposed changes for the service are currently out for consultation.  The consultation period runs to the 22 September 2019, which includes a number of public drop-in exhibitions in the localities that are affected, and other areas in the two counties.

This is an opportunity to provide a response to the consultation as a committee, with the minutes of the meeting being submitted to the consultation.  The consultation document is included in the agenda papers.

Councillors are still able to respond to the consultation individually.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service proposed changes were under consultation.  The committee had the opportunity to comment on the proposed changes, whilst maintaining the ability for individual councillors to respond in their own right.

The reasons for the proposed change in service delivery related to changing risks over time, and the need to make significant financial savings.

The consultation offered six options for change, covering aspects such as station closures and how stations were crewed.  Each of the six options in the consultation included the closure of two fire stations in the District: Colyton and Budleigh Salterton.

Ward Members for Colyton, Councillors Paul Arnott and Helen Parr spoke about the impact the proposed Colyton station closure would have over a much wider area than the town itself. Councillor Arnott recommended responding against all the options listed in the consultation, as it did clashed with the Council’s own policy for strategic development, including the expansion of the number of homes in Axminster, Seaton and Colyton.

Councillor Parr told the committee that local people had not been reassured by the public events held by the Fire Service.  She challenged the data presented in the consultation and had asked for more financial detail.  She felt that the proposals impacted more significantly on the District than for any other area in Devon and Somerset.  She was not convinced that any of the options proposed would ensure the safety of people in the District.

Members of the committee had considered the consultation document, with some members attending a local public event held by the Fire Service.  Concerns were raised on the proposed changes, including:

·                What could be done locally to encourage local employers to release employees for service, such as working with local Chambers of Commerce;

·                Impact of local road infrastructure in travel time to attend any incident, particularly for rural areas;

·                Proposals were not “rural proved” and the Fire Service should be asked to demonstrate that they have taken the factors of rural locations into account, including the road networks and the type of buildings and materials that have a higher risk of faster burn times (for example thatched roofing and farming stock bedding and feed);

·                Fire fighters are also first responders; reducing that number impacts on delivering for medical calls and the partnership arrangements with the Health Service; as well as impacting on policing duties that they also get involved with.  There was no detail in the consultation on how that would be mitigated;

·                There was no information in the consultation on how the funding arrangement for the area compares nationally, therefore there was no way to ascertain if the funding was fair;

·                Not enough breakdown to compare rural and town data, or data for local area to compare with national data quoted in the consultation;

·                Recent examples given of incidents that may not have had a positive outcome if the proposals are implemented – one such example being a fire at Seaton impacting on 17 residents;

·                Whilst many residents and tourists were better educated on fire risks, dementia was growing in the area which could lead to an increased risk;

·                Financial savings appeared to be the main driver for reform and other means of bridging this gap needed to be considered;

·                Details of response times for rural incidents needed to be understood, as impacted both by access and speed of response from nearest station;

·                What assessment had been made of the effectiveness of fire prevention work.

The conclusion from the debate was that there was insufficient information in the consultation for the committee to make any form of recommendation to be submitted either directly to the Fire Service, or to Cabinet and Council for a response to the consultation.

RESOLVED:

1.  that the Overview Committee Chairman, working with the Leader of the Council, writes to the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service asking for more information as debated in the committee meeting; requesting a response to come to the 29 August 2019 meeting;

2.  that the response be debated at the 29 August 2019 committee meeting to recommend to Cabinet for their 4 September 2019 meeting to Council in order to meet the deadline of the consultation.