Shropshire fire service to save £3m over four years
Wednesday 20th October 2010, 2:25PM BST.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, already one of the worst-funded divisions in the country, is looking to make savings of £3 million on its £21 million budget in the next four years.
Service bosses have drawn up budget plans based on a 25 per cent cut in the central grant it receives.
A deeper cut will see fire stations put under threat.
The brigade operates on an annual budget of about £21 million.
Of this about £8 million – 38 per cent – is Government grant and the remaining £13 million is met through a precept on Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council.
But it will not be able to make-up the shortfall in grant because of a freeze on council tax levies.
Sixty Shropshire firefighters, officers and support staff who are due to leave the county’s fire and rescue service over the next four years may not be replaced. And community safety work – which has proved highly successful in helping drive down the number of fires – is also likely to be reduced.
The impact on the county’s ambulance service is harder to judge.
Budgets for the NHS are expected to be ring-fenced, though they will not increase significantly on last year.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service Trust spokeswoman said: “The service is working with commissioners across the region to look at commissioning arrangements for 2011/12.
“As of yet, no decisions have been taken.”
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not what u need to read with the amount of fires being lit around here at night (herongate) and now at the school……..DONT CUT THE FIRE SERVICE !!
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