THE PROSPECTIVE parliamentary candidate for Thurrock (Labour), Polly Billington has called on the government to reverse cuts to fire services in Thurrock.
Ms Billington said:
"Dear Minister,
Congratulations on your new role. I hope you enjoy the challenges and opportunities that come with it.
I AM writing to you on behalf of many residents in Thurrock who are concerned about plans by Essex Fire and Rescue Service to downgrade the provision at the Fire Station in Grays in Thurrock. EFRS have a very difficult job to do, to implement the cuts imposed on them by central government, and residents and firefighters are sympathetic to those challenges. The current plan however is to dispense with the rescue tender and reduce the staffing levels accordingly. We are very concerned about the impact on the service to our community if this plan goes ahead. Furthermore we are concerned the proper process of assessing risks and consulting with the community has not been followed.
As you will be aware, Grays has a high concentration of COMAH sites; more than a third of all the COMAH sites in Essex are located here. Thurrock is also home to significant pieces of national infrastructure including the Dartford Crossing and the Channel Tunnel rail link, and two ports: Tilbury and DP World.
The last Risk Management Implementation Plan published by Essex Fire and Rescue Service recognised these risks and did not include any reference to plans to downgrade the Fire Station in Grays. We are concerned the plans are going ahead without proper consultation with the wider public and without national government assessing the importance of the national infrastructure and the risks that go with it.
Fire and Rescue Services are expected to adhere to guidelines set out within the Fire Services Framework: “The Integrated Risk Management Planning process is an opportunity for fire and rescue services to have an on-going conversation with communities and inform them through the provision of up-to-date, accessible data on risk.”
The framework says the plans must be easily accessible, cover at least a three year plan and reflect up to date risk analyses and evaluation of service delivery outcomes.
The most recent IRMP for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service spans 2013-16 and it does not include any of the proposed changes. This means that no open and meaningful consultation about the plans has taken place. It is difficult to conclude anything other than that the decisions are being made outside the National Fire Services Framework.
I understand the importance of decisions being made at local level, but I am also sure you will share with me a commitment to transparency of those decisions and full consultation with the local community, especially the assessment of risk. This has not happened in this case and I would urge you to consider what powers you may have to ask the Fire Service in Essex to comply with the National Fire Services Framework properly. Furthermore, bearing in mind the national infrastructure in our area, I would urge you to consider if there are particular circumstances here that would justify national government insisting on greater scrutiny of these proposals and the risks attached.
I look forward to your prompt reply.
Polly Billington
Labour’s candidate to be Thurrock’s next MP
