Fire bosses vote to challenge PCC's controversial takeover of service
The county's fire authority is pressing ahead with a legal challenge to the police commissioner's controversial takeover of the service.
Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority has voted to proceed with a judicial review of the Home Secretary's decision to allow police commissioner John Campion to take over the governance of the region's fire service.
Mr Campion was granted permission to take over the governance of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and Hereford & Worcester's fire services earlier this year.
Eric Carter, chair of Shropshire & Wrekin Fire Authority, said they had decided to proceed with a legal challenge at their meeting on Wednesday.
The legal challenge will be a joint bid with Hereford & Worcester's fire authority.
Lawyers had examined four grounds to challenge the Home Secretary's decision, and have said the authority can proceed on two of those grounds.
Mr Carter said: "We applied for a judicial review a little while ago after the business case was examined and we felt that the business case did not make sense and we wanted to challenge the government and the police and crime commissioner over this takeover.
"We employed lawyers to look at it and they came back and said we had a good case. We have employed them to go forward and put together a bid for a judicial review. Then this Tuesday, before the fire authority meeting they said that out of four points we have made, two were accepted and two were not accepted.
"They have said that if we want the other two to be considered we can do that.
"That is something we will consider in time but the fact they have given the go ahead for two points we put forward, we put it to the fire authority and we decided, yes we wanted to do that.
"We have got a very good opportunity to overturn this decision because no one supports it."
Speaking earlier this year Mr Campion argued that if he takes over the role of the fire authority, it will improve efficiency and cut costs.
He said: "I am committed to ensuring that when Shropshire’s taxpayers contribute money to be spent on policing, as much of that money as possible actually goes on the frontline police services that we all value and need the most.
“The fire authority in Shropshire has made the choice to commit significant public money for these matters.
"Our communities in Shropshire will have their own views as to whether their money is being well spent.”
