North Devon MP NICK HARVEY has today written to the Government minister responsible for funding of fire authorities – PARMJIT DHANDA MP – urging him to make good the projected £1 million shortfall in Devon & Somerset’s budget for the coming year.  He has also asked the minister to meet the MPs whose constituencies are affected.

Mr Harvey explains: “One major contributory factor to the current crisis has been the national changes to the fire-fighters’ pension scheme, which have affected Devon & Somerset more than almost any other part of the country.  The fire chief and authority believe they are under-funded to the tune of £1 million pa.”

But the MP has also written to Cllr Bernard Hughes, chair of the fire authority, warning that if the authority does have to make cuts, it should recognise the particular problems in Ilfracombe:

“The town is in a remote location, a long way from the nearest major fire station in Barnstaple.  It has a hilly and challenging landscape, and has many tall Victorian buildings which have come of age at a time when there is very little capital in the town.  Many are in poor fabric condition, and are occupied by socially disadvantaged tenants with impecunious landlords. Indeed one of Ilfracombe’s electoral wards is on the list of the most socially deprived wards in England and has many dwellings in multiple-occupation, at significant risk from the hazards of fire.

“The authority’s proposal to end full-time cover in Ilfracombe will be felt particularly acutely because many full-time firemen also serve as retained firemen out of hours. If these full timers are axed, but not made redundant, they will have to move elsewhere in Devon and Somerset. This will hit Ilfracombe twice over, as it will lose be losing each man twice – as both retained and full-time crew.

“The town’s retained firemen provide an excellent service to the community, but clearly take much longer to respond to a “shout” than full-time, fully trained, on-site fire fighters. Elsewhere in Ilfracombe the RNLI and the coastguards are finding it very difficult to recruit volunteers, and if the fire service suddenly requires twelve to fifteen more firemen I believe that you may struggle to find them. The savings may be harder to achieve in practice than they appear on paper, quite apart from the loss of skills and experience, which would be sorely felt.”

Nick Harvey also urges the authority to take its time before implementing drastic cuts:

“My purpose in writing now is to urge your authority to use any partial reprieve we may be able to secure from DCLG, along with your reserves – which I understand still stand approximately £500,000 ahead of the Audit Commission’s guideline minimum – to buy some time for a considered plan to be drawn up, and consulted on properly.  The public meeting in January in the New Year was shocked as the hurry in current planning.”