Fire Appliances Gather Dust As Tory Tries To Block Safety Report

Cllr Nigel Bell

Two Cambridgeshire fire appliances, which cost taxpayers £1.2 million more than two years ago, are still inoperative as a leading Tory fights to delay consideration of a report into their safety and suitability.

The appliances, one based at Cambridge and the other at Standground in Peterborough have never been officially put into service because of a series of mechanical and design faults.

But as an investigation is underway into the safety and viability of the Combined Aerial Rescue Appliances, Cllr Roy Pegram, chairman of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority is trying to delay the examination of a report into the study’s findings.

He has raised a discussion paper for the authority’s meeting on Thursday (February 23) calling on the service to retain the appliances and delaying examination of the investigation report until April 2013.

This would tie the hands of the new Fire Authority which will be elected in May 2013 leaving them no room for manoeuvre on the issue.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor, Lib Dem Fiona Whelan and a Conservative member are carrying out the investigation into the appliances.

Cllr Whelan said: “There are major concerns about these appliances and we are carrying out a full investigation to see whether they are fit for purpose.

“These CARAs have been backwards and forwards for repair and have never been officially put into service. The engine for Cambridge has only 800 miles on the clock.

“We need to allow the full results of this investigation to be discussed as soon as possible to protect the safety of our fire fighters. Their safety and that of the public has to be our number one priority”

Nigel Bell, Lib Dem leader on the fire authority said: “There is absolutely no reason to delay the report into this investigation for a year. These engines have been paid for out of public money and we need to know whether they can be put into service.

“The safety concerns are of paramount importance and we need to know what we are dealing with. Leaving them gathering dust for another year does not make economic sense.”

Council May Face Massive Cash Cuts To Fund Academies

Cambridgeshire County Council may soon find itself forced to make cuts in this year’s budget to find the extra money needed to fund the schools that have become academies.

The government has realised that it is wildly over budget for its academy programme and is now consulting about how to plug the gap.

In a recent consultation document the government conceded that it is facing a shortfall of over £600 million over the two year period 2011-2013. This has arisen because it is paying academies more money than they need and consequently more schools have decided to become academies than expected.

Lib Dem shadow cabinet member for Education, Cllr Peter Downes said:

“This amounts to a bribe to persuade schools to convert to academies and leave the Local Authority so that Mr Gove can demonstrate the 'success' of his academy policy. This will fragment our education system, which is already under financial pressure.

“Mr Gove's policy, clearly supported by the Tories in Cambridgeshire, is divisive, unfair and unsustainable.”

In Cambridgeshire four primary schools have become academies and two more are expected to convert by October 1st. 17 secondary schools have left the Local Authority already and five more are on the way.

The Council has already lost £1.71 million from this year’s budget and now stands to lose a further £3 to £4 million, depending on exactly when schools convert.

Cllr Fiona Whelan, Lib Dem shadow cabinet member for Adults’ and Children’s Social Care said:

“It is impossible to defend or justify transferring money out of services to the most vulnerable adults and children just so that a few relatively privileged schools can get a cash boost.”

Council officers expect to hear the government’s decision early in September.