Andrew Dismore

Andrew Dismore Labour London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden today condemned the inclusion of Belsize Fire Station on the list of stations to close that was published today. He also condemned the decision not to post an additional fire engine to be stationed at Euston, which was originally proposed. Mr Dismore also warned that this was not the end of the story.

Mr Dismore said:

“I am obviously disappointed that our campaign to save the station has not borne fruit so far, and there has been no recognition that the fire risks in our area are such that an additional fire engine is needed at Euston.

That is not the end of the story, either. There is still a huge funding gap of many millions in the Fire Authority budget that may well mean more closures in the near future.

The people of Camden will see a much worse fire response time than they now get. Every minute counts when fire fighting, and recent fires have demonstrated just how important Belsize is to the area’s safety.

And not just for Camden, but overall it is bad news. London wide, the fire brigade is to lose 12 stations and 18 fire engines, which can only mean an increase in the time it takes for the brigade to attend fires and other emergencies. Closures include nearby Clerkenwell and Westminster fire stations too.

So the battle to save our fire stations goes on, and if will be taking his to the Fire Authority meeting later this month. I urge everyone to join my campaign by returning my consultation form which can be downloaded at http://www.andrewdismore.org.uk/home/consultations/ and to write to Boris Johnson protesting these decisions.

I am sure most Londoners would prefer to see the Fire Brigade not face these cuts, rather than receive  a 1p per day cut in Council Tax, which the Mayor is proposing.”