A consultation on changes which include plans to stop manning two fire stations at night has been extended after a backlash.
Following a review, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) announced earlier this month plans to cut 24-hour cover at the stations in Offerton, Stockport and Sale in Trafford.
Under the proposals, they would become 'day crewing' stations with firefighters on call from 6pm in the evening to 8:30am, being called to incidents via mobile phone if required.
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Service chiefs say the changes would release around £1.1million that could be reinvested in other priority areas such as prevention and more fire engines at other locations.
However, the plans have sparked anger from firefighters and politicians alike. Crews at Offerton station on Lisburne Lane, which is the closest to Stepping Hill Hospital, said in a statement they believed the move could be potentially 'catastrophic.'
They say there would be a minimum delay of five minutes responding to incidents and that was likely to be nearer to 10 minutes at peak times when traffic congestion is at its worst.
“We feel this is completely unacceptable for council taxpayers in the Stockport area, particularly those residents of Offerton, to lose their fire cover for the benefit of another part of the Greater Manchester area," they said.
“The service will say less is more for the Greater Manchester area as a whole. For the residents of Stockport - and particularly Offerton station’s area - a reduction of 50pc of station firefighter posts and delayed response times means less is less.”
Hazel Grove MP William Wragg and a number of local councillors have also voiced their opposition. There have been similar complaints in Trafford, with the borough's Liberal Democrat group slamming the proposals.
Timperley Central Coun Shaun Ennis described them as 'absolutely unthinkable.' "They will make parts of Trafford, including Timperley, less safe," he said.
Today, GMFRS bosses issued a statement in which it said the public consultation, which was due to close on Monday, July 10, had now been extended until 11:59pm on Monday, July 24, in response to feedback from residents.
They said residents had 'expressed a desire for further opportunities to consider the proposals and contribute to GMFRS’s decisions' and the extension would be accompanied by 'ongoing engagement across Greater Manchester, with a particular focus on the areas included in the proposals and surrounding neighbourhoods.'
However, they moved to defend the proposed changes. As part of the package Ashton and Leigh fire stations would become 'enhanced Rescue stations' where teams would combine the role of a frontline firefighter with that of an enhanced rescue technician, meaning crews would be able to respond to 'every type of incident, including more complex scenarios.'
The total number of fire engines would be increased from 50 to 52, with new pumps placed at the Manchester Central and Moss Side stations. The force's special appliances including their water search and rescue capability would also be enhanced.
They said Offerton and Sale had 'seen a downward trend in incidents in recent years and are classed as lower risk, with some of the lowest numbers of night-time incidents in the whole city-region.'
The changes would not affect emergency cover during the day-time or plans to replace Stockport fire station on King Street West near the town centre with a new state-of-the-art £6 million building.
GMFRS’s Chief Fire Officer, Dave Russel, said: “We know that questions around fire cover and the service we provide are of fundamental importance for communities right across Greater Manchester. That’s why we want to make sure that people have the chance to engage meaningfully with our consultation and have their say on our proposals.
"Over the past year, we’ve conducted a thorough review of our fire cover, based on extensive analysis of evolving risks and the professional insight of our teams working here.
"The result is a package of measures that we believe will allow us to increase the number of fire engines in service and operate in the most effective and efficient way to keep residents, businesses and our firefighters safe.
“In the first few weeks of the consultation, we’ve been taking these proposals out to residents and listening to what they’ve got to say. The clear message has been that people are engaged and want as much time as possible to be able to contribute to the decisions that will be made.
“That’s why we’re extending the consultation and widening our ongoing engagement work with residents and partner networks, with a focus on the areas involved in the proposals and surrounding neighbourhoods. This will enable even more people to get involved in the public consultation and help shape our plans for the future of GMFRS.”
Deputy Mayor for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice and Fire, Kate Green, said: “The proposals set out in the Fire Cover Review represent a serious, comprehensive plan to ensure that GMFRS can adapt to match the changing landscape of our city-region, and put the right resources in place to protect communities throughout Greater Manchester.
“Since the consultation opened, we’ve been reviewing the feedback from the public sessions we’ve run and feedback received via our online survey, and we’ve already seen strong engagement from residents and stakeholders.
"This extension is a response to that feedback and will give us time to gather even more responses. I would strongly encourage everyone to consider the plans carefully and let us know what you think.”
You can read more about the plans on the GMFRS website and leave feedback by clicking here.
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