Local London Assembly Member John Biggs today voted for a motion urging the Mayor of London to fully fund the London Fire Brigade to stop the closure of the fire stations at Bow and Silvertown and loss of a fire engine at Whitechapel fire station. The London Assembly voted to call on Boris to reconsider his proposals to close 10 fire stations and cut 14 fire engines and draw up measures that avoid the need for cuts to the fire service in London.
Last week the Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) voted down the Mayor of London’s cuts agenda and put forward an amendment that the Mayor should fully fund the London Fire Brigade to keep the current provision of fire stations and engines. The Mayor is seeking advice as to whether he should direct LFEPA to implement his cuts and disregard LFEPA’s decision.
Local Labour London Assembly Member John Biggs said:
“Boris has publicly said that more London Boroughs will meet the six minute average attendance time target, but this is not the case in Tower Hamlets and Newham. At a local level, 38 wards will now miss the six minute average attendance time target as a result of the proposed cuts, while only 3 wards will move into the target time.
“Over 400,000 Londoners will now sit outside the target response time who previously lived in wards that met that time, while only 30,845 Londoners are now inside the target that previously were not.
“The Mayor must reconsider his position, drop his plans to close the stations at Bow and Silvertown and fully fund the London Fire Brigade. We have seen an unprecedented level of engagement and response against Boris’s cuts to the London Fire Brigade. If he wants to, let the Mayor play with the fire but we are not prepared to sign up for this reckless plan.”
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