County Euro MP regrets vote to axe three Warwickshire fire stations

4.53.07pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 21st Jul 2010

Liz Lynne worked closely with Warwickshire firefighters (here at Kenilworth) to protect retained fire cover. She said she deeply regrets the decision to close three fire stations.

A vote by the Conservative-led County Council to close three of the county's 19 fire stations marks a sad day for the people of Warwickshire, says Euro MP Liz Lynne.

The Stratford-based LibDem MEP led a successful campaign last year to save retained firefighters from the threat of a 48 hour weekly limit in the EU working time directive.

She welcomed the reprieve for fire stations at Kenilworth and Bidford but said she was 'deeply saddened' by the vote to press ahead with closure for stations in Warwick, Brinklow and Studley and to remove one appliance from Bedworth fire station.

The decision follows a huge campaign of protest by Warwickshire residents, with 55,000 people responding to the consultation process in one way or another, and concern at the way closure plans were initially kept secret during the county council and European elections in 2009.

Liz Lynne said: "I was pleased to work with Conservatives in the European Parliament last year to protect retained firefighters from the effects of a 48 hour maximum working week in the EU working time directive, which would have meant the end of our retained firefighter system. We won that campaign and the proposed changes were dropped.

"It is all the more disappointing this year to see these closures approved despite enormous popular opposition which will remove three important fire stations and diminish the role of retained firefighters, who are extremely cost effective.

"Warwickshire residents, especially those served by these three fire stations, will feel betrayed."

"Warwickshire Fire Service does need to use modern equipment but if you close fire stations it doesn't matter how modern your fire engine is if it has to take longer to get to a fire.

"The rush hour traffic in Leamington is very heavy and I cannot personally see how it will be possible to cover both Leamington and Warwick to the same standard as before."

ENDS