Councillors will ask for support in opposing fire service changes
15/12/2025
They fear the changes could increase response times and reduce fire cover
Councillors at Cherwell District Council will this evening debate a motion which opposes the proposed changes to Oxfordshire’s Fire and Rescue Service.
The County Council are currently consulting on closing some stations and, here in Banbury, reducing the number of firefighters at Cope Road by four, with those staff relocated to other stations in Oxfordshire.
Councillors Andrew Crichton and Rebecca Biegel have submitted the motion for tonight’s meeting. They fear the changes could increase response times and reduce fire cover across the Cherwell district, at a time when it is growing and placing greater demand on emergency services.
Councillor Crichton said: “These proposals risk leaving Cherwell residents with slower response times and fewer firefighters when emergencies strike. Public safety must come before financial savings, and I am urging Cherwell District Councillors to send a strong message to Oxfordshire County Council in opposition to these cuts.”
Councillor Biegel added: “Firefighters do an extraordinary job protecting our communities. The current proposals being consulted on, to reduce numbers and stretch shifts, could put more pressure on firefighters and increase risks for residents facing events involving fires, flooding or road traffic accidents. We must ensure Oxfordshire has the cover it needs.”
In a recent statement to Banbury FM, a spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council’s fire and rescue service defended the proposed changes: “On-call firefighter staffing levels continue to decline across Oxfordshire, with a 36 per cent reduction in the number of fulltime equivalent on-call firefighters over the last 10 years. This is affecting our ability to respond to emergencies when demand is highest, which is during the day.
“There is currently greater availability of resource – fire engines and firefighters – at night when demand is lowest, and lower availability during the day when demand is higher. This impacts response times during the day.
“To address this, our ‘Improving our fire and rescue service’ consultation proposes a reduction in the number of fulltime firefighters at fire stations to enable us to reallocate these roles to day shifts at on-call fire stations in Bicester, Chipping Norton, Faringdon, Wallingford (or Crowmarsh site relocated from Wallingford) and Witney.
“Should the proposals go ahead, they would result in fire stations where both fulltime and on-call firefighters are based – such as at Banbury – having 24 fulltime firefighter posts rather than the 28 that they have at present.
“Our independent modelling has forecasted fire engines to arrive more quickly across Oxfordshire. For the Cherwell district itself, which includes Banbury, Deddington and Hook Norton, response times are forecasted to be quicker overall, with reduction of around one minute and 41 seconds during the day (8am–8pm).”
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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