Shropshire Council backs concerns over control of fire service

At a full council meeting at Shirehall yesterday, members agreed to give council leader Peter Nutting the authority to formally respond to a consultation on commissioner John Campion's bid to bring Shropshire, as well as Herefordshire and Worcestershire fire authority, under his governance along with West Mercia Police.

Councillor Nutting previously suggested Mr Campion was "empire building", a claim the police and crime commissioner has rejected, and is understood to have already written to Mr Campion asking him to rethink the plan.

But with the backing of full council, a further formal response will be finalised marking the local authority's official stance.

Shropshire councillors also voted that the matter should be referred to the council's overview and scrutiny committee to look at and make recommendations to Councillor Nutting.

The council's Lib Dem group raised a motion at yesterday's meeting separately, with similar concerns.

Supporting the motion, Lib Dem leader Roger Evans, Shropshire Councillor for Longden, said: "Hopefully this is a-political. This needs to be a council position on this – it needs to be unanimous."

Councillor Nutting said the separate motion was not necessary.

"I have absolutely no doubt that everyone I have spoken to feels the same way.

"What worries me is that it will all be under one person rather than a democratic body.

"I do know that this is going to be a difficult debate with John Campion and the government.

"I do hope that because the balance in government is not what it was that they may back down on this."

A report to the council said Mr Campion's proposals risked "a loss of control and influence by elected members of the council over the operation of the local fire service.

"This could lead to diminished or reduced services with no local accountability.

"The police and crime commissioner would also have control over the setting of council tax precepts that relate to the fire service, again with no local accountability through elected members."

It also said the plan's suggested £4 million savings were "yet to be substantiated by any process of scrutiny or due diligence."

Councillor Kevin Pardy, who sits on Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin Fire Authority, said he had more than 30 years experience as a firefighter himself and said things should be allowed to continue as they were.

He said there was already good collaboration between Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire and Staffordshire fire services, and Shropshire had a budget surplus at present.

"I agree that collaboration needs to speed up," he said, "but we've got a fantastic brigade – and how many brigades can say they have a surplus of money?"