Hodnet Fire Station to Remain Open!

Hodnet Fire and Rescue Crew
The Shropshire Star and the BBC’s websites both posted reports this afternoon reporting on yesterday afternoon’s Shropshire and Fire and Rescue Authority meeting.
The good news is that in a unanimous vote the Fire Authority members agreed that Hodnet Station along with three other rural ones (Baschurch, Prees and Clun) will be kept open. The decision also means that over fifty retained fire-fighters will keep their jobs. This is good news for local residents and those in the areas covered by the other stations which were under threat.
Yesterday’s decision was expected following a meeting of the Strategy and Resources Committee Meeting held on Thursday, 6th February, which we reported on here. Minutes of that meeting are available on the Service’s website here. They record that Councillor Mrs Barrow commented that the four rural fire stations affected should be proud of the campaigns that they had undertaken to highlight what the station means to their local communities. Later Councillor Carter added that as a StRaP member it had been very useful to visit the stations concerned and meet the firefighters, members of the public and local business people and councillors. The strength of feeling regarding the proposed station closures had a strong bearing on the decision.
On behalf of our local crew can we therefore say thank you to all those who took time to support them, including filling in Shropshire Council’s on-line survey. Well done the crew and everyone else!