Threatened Hoo Peninsula fire station given reprieve
BBCA closure-threated on-call fire station has been given a reprieve.
The fire station at Grain, on the Hoo Peninsula, which is operated by part-time firefighters, was one of five part-time facilities which were threatened under Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) plans.
The brigade also proposes to close part-time stations at Wye, Chilham, Westerham and Cliffe.
KFRS chief executive Ann Millington has confirmed Grain has been taken off the list.
KFRS also plans to remove the on-call sections from "whole-time" stations at Herne Bay, Deal, Tunbridge Wells and Faversham, although full time provisions at these stations would not be affected.
The decision to save Grain follows a letter from the chief executive of Medway Council Richard Hicks. It is not known if his letter had any bearing on the outcome, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Mr Hicks wrote to KFRS chief executive Ann Millington citing the geography of the village, the presence of "substantial" industry and two power stations with direct links to Europe.
LDRSMeanwhile, trade union bosses are threatening industrial action.
They say 76 on-call reservist roles – who earn around £6-7,000 a year for being on standby 50 hours a week – could be lost.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) regional chair Tim Green said: "The fire service has no interest in talking to us, so industrial action remains very much on the table."
Mr Green said he understood the reversal on Grain was taken after a review of the data.
KFRS chief executive Ann Millington said last month: "The consultation depends on the fire authority approving our proposals to go forward, which are based on risk intelligence and data analysis.
"This is about spending money in the right ways to tackle our biggest risks, while competing with financial pressures."
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