To approve the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting held on 6 March 2014

The Head of Legal and Member Services presented the minutes of the meeting held on 6 March 2014. With regard to minute 25, the Constituency Manager advised that, in response to the Chair having written to the Chief Fire Officer to ascertain the facts in relation to fire station mergers, in the light of conflicting reports, she had received an update from the Chief Fire Officer. The update stated that ‘the Fire and Rescue Authority is having to deliver £26.5m savings as a result of Government cuts to its budget up to and including 2015/2016. The Authority is pursuing the merger on the recommendation of the Chief Fire Officer who has described the merger as representing the least worst operational option for West Wirral.

The Authority has invested significant time and effort in attempting to identify a suitable site for the proposed merger of West Kirby and Upton fire stations. Unfortunately it has not yet been possible to identify a suitable site which is available for purchase with the appropriate planning consent.

If the merger option cannot be delivered, which appears increasingly likely, then the next option to be pursued by the Authority will be the outright closure of West Kirby and the development of the existing Upton site in partnership with North West Ambulance Service who have expressed an interest in collocation.

From an operational perspective the Authority can still make the 10 minute response standard to the existing West Kirby station area from Upton, Heswall and Wallasey’.

Resolved –

(1)  That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 March 2014 be approved.

(2)  That the update from the Chief Fire Officer be noted.