Safety fears over fire cuts
FEARS over the fire service’s ability to reach large fires quickly have been expressed by Macclesfield’s MP.
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is proposing to scrap its aerial appliance based at Macclesfield fire station and rely on the two stationed at Lymm and Chester - and those in other counties.
The aerial platform, which allows firefighters to get above fires to bring it under control, was used extensively during the Bosley disaster in 2015.
But Macclesfield MP David Rutley has questioned the amount of time it would take for the appliance to travel from Lymm - 20 miles away - to Macclesfield’s AstraZeneca plant if there was ever the need.
According to the fire service, which tested the journey in a ‘blue light’ scenario, it would take 29 minutes. But it also claims a similar appliance stationed in Buxton could get there quicker.
Mr Rutley said: “I’ve met with the fire and rescue service regarding the proposal and have set out a number of questions, following the tragic Bosley explosion we are all more aware of the role that this equipment can play.
“I have asked the fire and rescue service to answer these questions to ensure the safety of local residents and business in and around Macclesfield in the years to come.”
The Cheshire branch of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is calling on the Fire Authority to keep ‘vital’ equipment like the aerial platform.
The changes being proposed by the fire service are part of a bid to axe £4m from its budget over the next three years.
Other ideas to save money being explored include a ‘review’ of its staffing at Macclesfield fire station - but the service won’t confirm if this means job cuts.
The Chester Road station already runs a ‘nucleus’ staffing arrangement, with only a handful of permanent firefighters bolstered by a pool of on-call firefighters.
The service is also asking for more money from the public with a proposed increase in its share of council tax by 1.99pc in 2017/18.
Alex Waller, head of service delivery at Cheshire Fire Service, said the equipment is not used to respond rapidly to incidents or to rescue people and has only been used 10 times since the last year.
To have your say on the consultation visit www.cheshirefire.gov. uk