Local people deserve better - Warwickshire Liberal Democrats respond to Fire Service announcement

7.27.00pm GMT Tue 15th Dec 2009

Nigel Rock at Kenilworth Fire Station

The axe will continue to hang over Kenilworth, Warwick and Fenny Compton Fire Stations for several more months, as Warwickshire County Council announced (Council meeting, 15th December) that the Council's vote on proposals for the future of the county's Fire and Rescue Service will be delayed 'indefinitely'. But the county's Liberal Democrats insist that local people deserve better than an open ended plan to bring proposals back 'some time in the future'.

With consultation on the proposals closing on 8th December, the County Council's Cabinet had intended to consider the proposals in January, and then recommend a final decision on changes to a full meeting of the County Council in February.

That timetable has now been abandoned, but despite pressure from Liberal Democrat Councillors at the meeting the ruling Conservatives gave no indication when plans would be brought back to the Council.

Cllr Jerry Roodhouse, Leader of the Lib Dem group on the County Council, said, "Even Conservative MPs have been complaining about the plans drawn up by their Conservative colleagues on the County Council, and this looks like a cynical ploy to move the issue until after the General Election. The Conservatives have created enormous concern and worry in communities across the County with their plans to close Fire Stations. Local people deserve better than an open ended plan to bring proposals back 'some time in the future."

Nigel Rock, Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Kenilworth & Southam, praised the tremendous response from residents in expressing their opposition to the closure plan. He said: "It's clear that the current plan is fundamentally wrong. Why continue the agony of uncertainty for several more months? Scrap the plan, lift the threat of closure hanging over Kenilworth and the other six fire stations, and then let's have a proper informed public debate about how Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service should move forward for the future."