Concerns have been raised with the MP for Penrith and the Border about plans for Cumbria’s police and crime commissioner to take over governance of the county’s fire service.
Neil Hudson MP met with the Fire Brigades Union to discuss their concerns about local government reorganisation which will see Cumbria’s councils dissolved and two new authorities set up.
Plans to abolish the seven existing local authorities before launching a Cumberland Council and Westmorland & Furness Council mean that a decision needs to be made on who should govern the fire service.
Cumbria’s police and crime commissioner Peter McCall has prepared a bid to take on the service and said he believed it would be the most efficient option.
But the union believes Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service should be democratically governed through the new unitary councils.
And union bosses raised these points with Penrith’s MP last week.
Following the meeting, Dr Hudson said: “The fire and rescue service is an emergency, lifesaving and community-protecting institution that must be supported, and I pay tribute to the members of the fire services who keep us all safe.
“I am against local government restructuring in Cumbria, especially at this time coming out of the pandemic, and I have raised this time and again in Parliament, most recently in my Cumbrian Levelling up Debate last week. But we now have to make this process work best for our communities.”
He said: “I share in some of the concerns of the Fire Brigades Union, and we must find a way to ensure that the fire service is protected and sensibly run as we move through these challenging times.”
But Mr McCall believes that bringing governance of the fire service into the police and crime commissioner’s portfolio is the most efficient option.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service after launching the bid in 2021, Mr McCall said: “Taking fire away in my view is a fairly easy first step that would make it a bit less complicated for the two unitaries.
“As far as I’m concerned it’s not an empire building thing. But it does make sense in my view and I can’t see a negative side to it. It just makes sense to bring the blue lights services closer together.”
He believes the Government will be supportive of the option as it is in-keeping with the devolution agenda.
“The business case will go to Government and the Home Office for approval. As far as Government are concerned we’re pushing against an open door.”
