Wrexham Council to discuss ‘completely unacceptable’ plans to cut local fire provision

Councillors are being asked to oppose plans to scrap Wrexham’s second whole-time fire engine.

The North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority is consulting on the future provision of emergency cover in the region.

Of the three options being considered, two involve cutting the second fire appliance in Wrexham and reducing the numbers of firefighters from 52 to 28. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This would leave the city with one whole time pump and crew, and one retained pump and crew – which is not always available.

Next month councillors will be asked to oppose plans to scrap Wrexham’s second whole-time fire engine after a motion was submitted to full council by Plaid Cymru group members.

The motion will feed into the North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority’s deliberations on proposed changed to its Emergency Fire Cover.

The full motion to council reads:

The North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority has recently concluded a consultation into Emergency Fire Cover. The Authority consulted on three options – two of which involved reducing the numbers of firefighters in Wrecsam from 52 to 28 and getting rid of the second whole-time fire engine.

Wrexham CBC understands the financial pressures facing NWFRA faces due to 13 years of austerity and the failure of central government to fund the recent pay deal with firefighters.

However this council wishes to express in the strongest possible terms that halving the capacity at Wrexham’s purpose-built fire station will have a detrimental effect on fire safety in the county borough and beyond. The Wrexham station provides essential cover to many other retained stations across the North as well as expertise and experience that could be lost if job cuts were to take place.

This council calls on the Fire Authority to maintain the current levels of emergency cover in Wrexham.

Councillor Carrie Harper, who is moving the motion, said: “The Fire Authority has put forward two options that we find completely unacceptable for Wrexham. Back in 2016, the same proposals was put forward and it took a mass campaign to reverse that threat.

“So here we are again with the Fire Authority considering cutting frontline services without addressing other potential savings at the top of the organisation and its plans for a £48 million training centre.

“Our first priority is to defend the service we currently have in Wrexham – the second and third proposals would see the entire number of firefighters for north Wales reduced by 12% or 19%.

“Neither is acceptable to Plaid Cymru – we need to maintain services in our region while also recognising the need to enhance the emergency cover further west.”