Consultation follows rejection of downgrade
Viability of fire station in the spotlight again
Published:
The viability of Balmossie Fire Station in Dundee will be put to public consultation for the second time this year.
Tayside Fire and Rescue Board has decided to ask the public if the station was viable – just nine months after they rejected a proposal to downgrade it.
Among concerns raised by residents then were longer response times, the rising population of the area served by Balmossie, and the many elderly residents and care and nursing homes in the area.
At its meeting at Forfar’s Town and County Hall yesterday, the board again considered the proposal similar to that rebuffed in March. If adopted, it would mean retained firefighters covering the Balmossie patch at night.
Jim Malone, regional organiser for the Fire Brigades Union Scotland, said: “This is a shocking decision and shows a total disregard for democracy.
“The decision to reject the proposal was only taken in March and for this issue to be back on the table so soon after just shows the arrogance and ignorance of the chief fire officer.
“Councillors are being encouraged to push this through and many are extremely angry that this issue has even been brought before the board again.”
Meanwhile, as the meeting was in progress, Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie blasted fire chief Stephen Hunter for attempting to revive the issue.
He said the move was “inconceivable and ill-advised” and accused Mr Hunter of trying to “bully” it through.
“These proposals were almost unanimously opposed by the local community,” he said in a statement. “It’s clear a proposal that failed to convince the community last time is unlikely to fare any better now and will simply raise all the anxieties and fears again.”
Brought Ferry councillor Rod Wallace, who represents Balmossie, said his primary responsibility was to his constituents and he felt it was “premature” to hold another consultation just nine months after the first was roundly rejected. He moved that references to Balmossie and Forfar be taken out of the Towards A Safer Tayside 2010-11 – Consultation Process document, but was defeated and the decision to have a public consultation was carried.
The consultation period will end on February 19, with the future of the station being decided some time after that date.
Latest figures show Balmossie is by far the quietest fire station in Tayside.
