Calls to rethink cuts after floods
ROCHDALE’S MP has called on the Mayor of Greater Manchester to help protect the borough from ‘extreme circumstances’ such as floods and fires by sparing the fire service from funding cuts.
In last week’s Observer we spoke to some homeowners in Rochdale who have seen their homes flood three times in the last four years.
Tony Lloyd warned that GM’s fire service was stretched to full capacity during the Boxing Day 2015 floods - although this has been disputed by Mayor Andy Burnham’s office.
Mr Lloyd joined other Greater Manchester Labour MPs in writing a series of letters to stress the importance of preventing fire service cuts.
The 2015 deluge, when the River Roch burst its banks flooding homes and businesses, caused thousands of pounds of damage in Rochdale.
In a separate letter penned to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, the former mayor Mr Lloyd said: “During the Boxing Day floods in 2015, Rochdale was badly affected, as were other parts of Greater Manchester.
“At the time, I was told every GMFRS appliance was engaged. Equally, Fire and Rescue Services in adjoining areas Lancashire, West Yorkshire, Cheshire, Merseyside were themselves fully engaged. Therefore the possibility of mutual aid was simply not available.
The concern on the day was that if the rain clouds had moved over the River Mersey, Greater Manchester would not have had the capacity to deal with the totality of challenges from both flooding and any other fire and rescue related emergencies.
“In the context of the fires on the Pennine Moors last year, I’m told that Greater Manchester was drawing mutual aid from as far as Kent, which does give some indication of the national stretch of fire and rescue services.
“I do trust that you will take into account the possibility of extreme circumstances like these, which are sadly less uncommon than they once were, due to climate change.”
The 21-strong group of Labour MPs wrote to Kit Malthouse, the newly appointed Police and Fire minister, as well as to Mayor Mr Burnham.
They said the current government proposals would see the number of firefighters riding appliances reduced from five to four; a reduction in the number of pumps overall; and proposals to close some fire stations, among others.
The letter added: “We feel that the proposals as they stand could potentially put lives at risk - citing fires on the moors, the ongoing issue of cladding of buildings, the terrorist threat level among others.”
In response, a Home Office spokesperson said decisions on future funding for Fire and Rescue Services will be taken as part of cross-government funding discussions.
They added: “Fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work and overall will receive around £2.3billion in 2019/20.
“It is for each fire and rescue authority to determine the resources needed to deliver services to their communities.”
The Fire Brigades Union, who see themselves as the democratic voice of UK firefighters, tweeted their support for the MPs.
They said: “Greater Manchester Labour MPs are right. The cuts have gone too far and we need investment in Greater Manchester Fire Rescue Service.”
Bev Hughes, deputy mayor for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice and Fire, said: “The Boxing Day flooding of 2015 was an exceptionally busy period for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and our neighbouring Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs).
“However, I would like to make it very clear that at no point were all of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service’s appliances engaged, with at most two-thirds being deployed.
“We are able to deal with most incidents in Greater Manchester using the assets we have at our immediate disposal.
“However, there may be and times when any fire and rescue service requires specialist resources and equipment, or extra assistance to mount an effective response, the recent situation in Whaley Bridge being just one example of this.
“We will always plan to have the most frontline resources available to us given the financial limits we face, and we are confident that our planning assumptions make the most effective use of the resources we have available. In the most extreme circumstances we have tried and tested NCAF (National Coordination Advisory Framework) arrangements to call upon to ensure we can continue to keep the people of Greater Manchester safe.”