Fire stations closure plan abandoned

A council has abandoned controversial plans to close three fire stations following a public consultation.

Oxfordshire County Council had previously considered shutting stations at Woodstock, Eynsham and Henley due to "persistent low availability of on-call crews".

Councillors approved an updated report, scrapping the proposed closures but vowing to continue engagement with staff and unions about implementing 12-hour day shifts for full-time firefighters at five currently on-call fire stations.

Chief fire officer Rob MacDougall said "the consultation response was clear and strong" with more than 1500 responses.

He stated that they listened to the concerns of the public and will now focus on recruitment in the three station areas instead.

The approved report also got rid of plans to remove the second fire engine at Thame and paused decisions on a new north Oxford fire station, which would replace Rewley Road and Kidlington, until further details are developed - citing uncertainty linked to developer negotiations.

It confirmed that a specialist rescue tender would continue to be based in Kidlington.

Speaking at the local authority cabinet meeting, MacDougall said withdrawing those elements will have financial implications but he insisted "the recommendations will allow us to improve our fire and rescue service".

He said: "At its heart, this is about a real and growing challenge for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service - our ability to consistently provide enough fire engines during the day when demand and risk are highest."

He said there had been "a 36% reduction in on-call firefighter availability" over the past decade.

He added: "The underlying case for change has not gone away, on-call availability continues to decline and doing nothing is not an option.

"But how we respond to that challenge must command public trust, workforce confidence, and operational credibility."

The initial proposals had sparked protests by firefighters and opposition from the University of Oxford.

In March, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said its Oxfordshire members had voted overwhelmingly in support of potential strike action.

Chris Wycherley from the FBU had said previously that: "This is a victory built on the strength and determination of firefighters across Oxfordshire.

"From the very beginning, members were clear that these cuts would put their communities at risk and they were prepared to stand together to stop them.

"The level of support from the public has been incredible, and it shows just how valued the fire service is. This result proves that when firefighters and communities unite, we can defeat cuts that would put lives in danger."

Previously, the fire service estimated the closures would save more than £600,000 in annual costs and the sale of the buildings would bring in £1.2m in revenue.

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