West Bridgford could lose full time overnight fire service cover in plans to save money.
In a report published today, the Workforce Review and Fire Cover Review, efficiency workstreams and options to ensure the Authority can set a balanced budget for the financial year 2023-24 and beyond were set out.
The report states that since 2010, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) has seen budget reductions of £9.6 million in real cash terms and significantly higher when considering other factors, such as inflation.
As part of the 2022/23 budget report considered by Fire Authority in February 2022 the Treasurer, based on some planning assumptions at the time, predicted a 2023/24 deficit of circa £2.1 million pounds.
The report says that the ‘best option, with least impact on the community utilising Service provided data with ORH, to achieve this has been identified as:
• Removal of the second appliance from London Road;
• Removal of the second appliance from Stockhill;
• Conversion of West Bridgford from one wholetime appliance to one day shift crewing appliance;
• Conversion of Ashfield from one day shift crewing and one On-call appliance to one wholetime and one On-call appliance.
It means that of the two fire engines based at London Road, one will be removed, and at West Bridgford Fire Station, full time fire crews will only man the station during the daytime, with on-call firefighters being called upon during the night.
West Bridgford South Nottinghamshire County Councillor Jonathan Wheeler is the leader of the Conservative Group on the Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Authority told The Wire:
‘The plans by the Fire Authority will mean West Bridgford Fire Station will only have a daytime crewing model and London Road will lose one of the two fire appliances there.
‘What these proposals mean is that the average time it will take a Fire Engine to attend a call in Rushcliffe will be 10.30 minutes- the longest in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and over 2 minutes ahead of the average in Nottingham/ Nottinghamshire.’
This will be subject of a 12-week public consultation to be announced.
•  Councillor slams plans to remove emergency fire cover from West Bridgford and London Road stations
