Wiltshire Conservatives are urging the Government to intervene after Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) confirmed proposals to close eight on-call fire stations—four of them in Wiltshire: Bradford on Avon, Mere, Ramsbury, and Wilton.
Cllr Richard Clewer - Leader, Wiltshire Council Conservatives has written to the Prime Minister following a question raised by Dr Andrew Murrison MP for South West Wiltshire at Prime Minister’s Questions. Dr Murrison highlighted the serious financial pressures facing DWFRS. Grant reductions and over-optimistic Treasury assumptions on council tax base growth have left the Service with a structural deficit, resulting in proposals to cut 96 retained firefighter posts across Wiltshire and Dorset.
DWFRS has been clear that these proposals are driven by funding constraints rather than local choice. Communities, councillors, MPs and representative bodies warn that station closures will weaken emergency response capability and compromise public safety, particularly in rural areas where rapid response is critical.
Cllr Pauline Church, who represents Wilton—one of the stations under threat—said: “Wilton’s fire station has served our community for generations. Closing it would leave residents more vulnerable and increase response times at moments when every second counts. Retained firefighters are the backbone of rural fire cover, and losing them would put lives, homes and our environment at greater risk.
We need the Government to step in, recognise the pressure DWFRS is under, and provide the flexibility and funding needed to keep our communities safe.”
You can read Cllr Clewer's letter to Sir Kier Starmer here - Open file
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