Labour anger at Fire Authority spending plans to implement cuts to fire service

East Sussex Fire Authority have voted through a proposal to “approve the drawdown of up to £200,000” to establish a ‘Service Transformation Team’.

The team will be responsible for implementing savings plans which include cutting one of only five fire engines and 24 firefighters in Brighton and Hove.

The team will be made up of existing staff seconded to the team who will be supported by some external fixed term appointments.

Nancy Platts, Labour Parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, has been very vocal in opposing the fire cuts.

She said: “I am shocked that Councillors on East Sussex Fire Authority have voted through a budget of up to £200,000 for a ‘Service Transformation Team’ instead of putting that money toward keeping our fire engine and 24 firefighters in Brighton and Hove. We keep being told there is no money, so this raises serious questions about why these funds were not made available to maintain front-line services.”

Simon Herbert, Chair of East Sussex FBU, added: “Firefighters want to offer a professional service to the public, but we can only do this if we have sufficient resources. Putting scarce funds into yet more back-office staff to reorganise our firefighters is wholly inappropriate at a time when we are losing a fire engine and 24 firefighters in Brighton and Hove.”