Public consultation agreed on fire station closure proposals

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority has today (10th February) agreed to take proposals for closing up to eight fire stations to public consultation.

The Authority received reports from a working group of its own Members, who had put forward the recommendations following months of work and analysis alongside officers from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service [DWFRS].

The eight locations that will be subject to 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).

A fire cover review has been underway for the past three years, looking at information and data about all 50 of the fire stations within DWFRS. The analysis, which identified the eight stations proposed for closure, used data from 2019-2024 to consider:

• how busy the station is;
• how quickly and how often the station is able to respond to incidents;
• the financial impact of closing the fire station;
• how other fire engines nearby could respond to incidents;
• existing and possible future risk in the local communities; and
• how the Service meets the changing needs of its communities.

Chief Fire Officer Andy Cole said: “No-one wants to close fire stations. As with many public sector organisations, we continue to face significant financial challenges. This is despite our attempts to lobby Government for better funding, and saving over £15 million from our revenue budget since we combined in 2016.

“This financial pressure reflects a long-term reduction in central government funding for fire and rescue services, combined with rising costs that sit largely outside our control, such as the addition of National Insurance and pay award costs, as well as a below national average council tax contribution. As such, we must find ways to address the forecast deficits and ensure we are sustainable in the future. We’ve looked very carefully at all the facts to make sure we’re doing the right thing with the money and people we have. I truly believe these proposals will help better resource the Service and save money, whilst still achieving the level of support our communities expect of us.”

He added, “We understand that people care about what this means for their town or village. That is why, before the Fire & Rescue Authority make any decisions, we want people to tell us what they think and if there’s anything important that we might have missed. The Authority has not yet decided on these proposals, and all feedback received will help them to determine what is best for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.”

The consultation will be open from Friday, 13th February until Friday, 15th May 2026. All of the details, including station-specific data, FAQs, and a questionnaire, will be available at www.dwfire.org.uk from 13 February.

During March and April, there will be public meetings in each affected community, together with online dial-in sessions for each location. Details of these can also be found on the DWFRS website from 13th February.

An independent consultation company is supporting this process and will produce a report of all the responses before the Authority makes the final decision on any station closures when they meet on Tuesday, 30th June 2026.