Public meetings will start next week as part of the ongoing consultation into the potential closure of eight fire stations by Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.
From 2nd March until late April, there will be meetings in each affected community, alongside online dial-in sessions for each location. Venue details and links to the online sessions can be found at www.dwfire.org.uk/proposed-station-closures
The eight locations under consultation are all on-call fire stations: four in Dorset (Charmouth, Cranborne, Hamworthy, and Maiden Newton), and four in Wiltshire (Bradford on Avon, Mere, Ramsbury, and Wilton).
Chief Fire Officer Andy Cole said: “Nobody wants to close fire stations but, despite saving over £15 million in the last ten years, our financial position remains very challenging due to a 19.5% cut in funding provided directly from Government. We still need to make sure our operational staff have the equipment and training they need to stay safe, and we’ve pared back our Corporate staff numbers as much as possible. This isn’t Plan A, we’ve worked through many difficult options before this point.”
He added: “The elected Members of Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority are responsible for keeping the Service sustainable, and they recognise that tough decisions need to be considered.
“This consultation is therefore essential. We understand that people care about what this means for their community. That is why we want them to tell us what they think, and if there’s anything important that we might have missed. No decisions have been made. The final decision will be made by the Fire & Rescue Authority at their meeting on 30 June. We would urge our residents to have their say via these upcoming meetings or our survey.”
The consultation will be open until Friday, 15th May 2026. All of the details, including station-specific data, FAQs and the survey, can be found at www.dwfire.org.uk/proposed-station-closures
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