KINVER’S MP is encouraging his constituents to sign a petition to help save the village's new £1.9m community fire station.

Gavin Williamson MP is hoping the petition will affect the outcome of a Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service proposal to cut the number of operational fire stations across the county from 33 to 15.

A consultation period on the fire service’s New Delivery Model Community Safety Options 2015 has closed and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Authority is now analysing the results which will be considered at a meeting on July 13.

The proposals could see emergency cover removed from 18 fire stations - including Kinver - and see the number of appliances reduced from 42 at 33 stations to 15 at 15 stations across the region.

The number of names on the petition currently stands at 500, but Mr Williamson is urging more constituents to sign to make their voices heard.

He said: “It is vital that we have the stations for the safety of constituents across South Staffordshire and that we can rely on our fire service 24/7 especially in areas of the constituency that are more rural.

“It is a disgrace that these proposals are considering closing stations that are still in the process of being built, making it not only a complete waste of money to the public purse, but putting lives in danger.

“I look forward to hearing the results of the considerations made by the Fire and Rescue Authority and I urge all of my constituents to sign my petition so that our voices can be heard.”

Chief Fire Officer Peter Dartford said even though the New Delivery Model proposals would “present a complete change in strategic direction” as firefighters would no longer carry out community safety work, the Fire and Rescue Authority wanted to explore a range of options for the future running of the service “however radical they may be”.

He added: “The new delivery model is just one of a number of proposals we are consulting on. If the feedback from members of the public was that this option was one they wanted to pursue, the Fire and Rescue Authority would need to do much more in depth research.”

A copy of Gavin’s petition is available on his website at www.gavinwilliamson.org/campaigns/save-our-fire-stations