Fire service bosses in Shropshire are seeking a summit with government ministers to plead for more cash after being hit with larger-than-expected budget cuts.

A meeting of Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority this week revealed an expected cut of 28 per cent in the amount of cash it will receive over the next four years. The depth of the cut has surprised and angered the fire authority.

Senior fire officers and staff had worked together on drawing up plans to save the service £3 million over the next four years, based on an expected 25 per cent grant reduction.

Stuart West, authority chairman, outlined its position.

He said: “I must express serious concerns for service levels in the medium term if civil servants continue to underestimate the risk our communities face from fire and other emergencies, and the cost of delivering emergency services in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

Disappointing

“All of us must now work hard to explain our situation to government so that the future funding formula is fair for the people of Shropshire.”

The service currently gets £8 million in grant towards total expenditure of about £21 million.

Authority treasurer, Keith Dixon, said the grant settlement was “very disappointing”.

He said the authority was now planning to have a meeting with civil servants to press the case for improved funding and find out why the service faces such a big grant reduction.

Chief fire officer, Paul Raymond, told the authority there was already a “great deal of pain” in the service as a result of savings it was proposing.

Protect

Most of the current cash-saving proposals have come from brigade staff themselves through a series of review meetings.

They aim to protect frontline services, ensure none of the brigade’s 23 stations are closed, and safeguard the brigade from becoming part of a regional organisation. But there are some big changes.

For example, 60 staff who leave over the next four years will not be replaced. And home and business fire protection work will be reduced,

The authority will agree final budget plans at a meeting in February.