19/12/2012 - Haworth Fire Station Public Meeting
Public Meeting to Consider The Future of Haworth Fire Station and proposals to form a ‘First Responder Style’ Emergency Cover Service at the Station,Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council are to stage a public meeting to discuss the future of Haworth Fire Station and a proposal to form a ‘first responder-style’ emergency cover service at the Station at West Lane Baptist Church in Haworth on Wednesday, 9th January 2013 at 7.30pm.
The meeting is being called in response to the proposal to close Haworth Fire Station that was recently included in a public consultation staged by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service following Government reductions to their funding.
Cllr. John Huxley, the Parish Council, said: “We recently met with officers from Fire and Rescue at their headquarters in Birkenshaw and they gave us a very fair hearing. We discuss the closure proposal, together with their plans to withdraw one of the two fire engines based in Keighley, as well as the options available to the Worth Valley communities should the idea to form some kind of supported first responder unit be possible.
“We now understand that the closure of Haworth Fire Station has been deferred for a maximum of two years to allow for a detail feasibility study into whether such community services could step into the breach.”
Added Councillor Huxley: “It’s our intention to speak with our neighbour local councils, Keighley Town Council and Oxenhope Parish Council, to see whether they would be interested in helping us explore what is beginning to look a realistic proposition of having a first responder style service based at the current Fire Station together with other public emergency services”.
“This is not just a Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury issue. The loss of a Fire Station in Haworth has ramifications for all the Worth Valley communities and we feel their opinions have a place in deciding what happens next”.
“I have said all along that so much depends on the support we receive from the people of the villages and Worth Valley communities. If people come to the public meeting and agree to support the community involvement in trying to provide emergency cover then I will propose that the Parish Council throws its weight behind the project”.
“There have already been some expressions of interest in making something happen and if all the people who protested about the closure of the Fire Station were to show their support then I believe we as a community could, if you’ll pardon the expression, blaze a trail that others will follow.”
