Councillor Brian Kenny moved and Councillor Chris Meaden seconded the following Motion submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7 –

This Wirral Council believes that the cuts imposed by Government on Merseyside Fire & Rescue Authority (MFRA) have gone too far and should be reversed to ensure public safety is protected. To this end the Council will work in collaboration with MFRA, Merseyside’s constituent District Councils, Mayors Anderson and Rotherham, MP’s the FBU and all trade unions to jointly lobby Government to demand assurances that, the cuts imposed on the Authority be reversed and that the case for increased funding for MFRA will be fully considered on the basis of public safety.

This Council also supports the Fire & Rescue Authority’s position when demanding assurances that, as an absolute minimum, Government commit to ensuring that there will be no further grant reductions applied to MFRA and that the Authority will be fully protected in relation to any new financial burdens.

Finally, the Council demands the removal of the government imposed ‘cap’ on the Council Tax flexibility thereby allowing local application of Council Tax arrangements in order to fully protect the public.

Amendment

With the agreement of the Proposer and Seconder of the original motion inclusion of an amendment proposed by Councillor Phil Gilchrist, seconded by Stuart Kelly submitted in accordance with Standing Order 12(9) was agreed, to:

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Council again wishes to draw attention to the number of COMAH sites within the Borough and their proximity to long-established areas of dense housing.  This is especially the case with the installations in Rock Ferry and Eastham associated with chemical storage, petroleum products and refinery installations.

Having applied the guillotine the Council did not debate this matter.

The substantive motion as amended was put and carried (58:0) (One abstention).

Resolved (58:0) (One abstention) –

This Wirral Council believes that the cuts imposed by Government on Merseyside Fire & Rescue Authority (MFRA) have gone too far and should be reversed to ensure public safety is protected. To this end the Council will work in collaboration with MFRA, Merseyside’s constituent District Councils, Mayors Anderson and Rotherham, MP’s the FBU and all trade unions to jointly lobby Government to demand assurances that, the cuts imposed on the Authority be reversed and that the case for increased funding for MFRA will be fully considered on the basis of public safety.

Council again wishes to draw attention to the number of COMAH sites within the Borough and their proximity to long-established areas of dense housing.  This is especially the case with the installations in Rock Ferry and Eastham associated with chemical storage, petroleum products and refinery installations.

This Council also supports the Fire & Rescue Authority’s position when demanding assurances that, as an absolute minimum, Government commit to ensuring that there will be no further grant reductions applied to MFRA and that the Authority will be fully protected in relation to any new financial burdens.

Finally, the Council demands the removal of the government imposed ‘cap’ on the Council Tax flexibility thereby allowing local application of Council Tax arrangements in order to fully protect the public.