Suffolk Lib Dems are joining forces with the County Council Labour Group at the County Council meeting this coming Thursday (17th March) in a joint motion to try and overturn the proposed cuts to the Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service .
The motion:-
“This Council believes that the reductions in fire appliances and crews as recommended in the Suffolk Fire Service Risk Management Plan 2015 – 18 would pose a serious threat to the safety of the residents of Suffolk, their homes and their businesses.
The Council therefore calls upon the Cabinet to approve and IRMP which excludes the following proposals:-
Bury St Edmunds proposal: To remove one on- call fire engine from Bury St Edmunds Fire Station, and make consequent reduction to associated on -call firefighter posts.
Ipswich proposal: To remove two fire engines from Princes Street Fire Station and one fire engine from Ipswich East Fire Station, and make consequent reductions to associated whole-time and on-call firefighter posts.
Lowestoft proposal: To remove one on-call fire engine from the Lowestoft South Fire Station, and make consequent reductions to associated on-call posts.
Sudbury proposal: To replace one of the fire engines at Sudbury with a rapid response type firefighting vehicle, and make consequent reductions to associated on-call firefighter posts.
Wrentham proposal: To close Wrentham Fire Station and remove the fire engine, and make consequent reductions to associated on-call firefighter posts.
By proposing this motion to the Full Council this will give everybody a chance to debate in full the devastating effect these cuts will have on the County of Suffolk. We have cast political differences aside to enable this debate to take place, something that would have been denied if just left to the Cabinet.
We firmly believe that the safety of the residents of Suffolk should come first which is why we are saying NO to these proposed cuts. Hopefully a majority of YOUR COUNCILLORS will agree with us and support this motion.
David Wood
Leader Lib Dem & Ind. Group