Save the Fire Stations.

Proposed cuts to the fire service.

December 7th 2011 will be remembered as the day when the spending cuts will affect the local communities of Hemsworth, South Elmsall and South Kirkby. Our team of roving reporters attended the 7pm Public meeting consultation at the Grove in South Kirkby to witness the heated debate and maybe a ''done deal''. The room was attended by a few members of the public, but well attended by plenty of Labour Councillors and supporters, along with Fire fighters from the 2 fire-stations that are to be ear-marked for closure. The 3 Fire Chiefs who incidentally did not come from the local areas by their own admission, started by saying that £18m had to be cut from the West Yorkshire spending budget which included South Elmsall and Hemsworth fire stations, they went on to say that the figures they had showed why these 2 stations had to close and that redundancies would occur. Members of the public we're concerned because if these proposals went ahead they would be at risk from fires, in response to these concerns the Fire Chiefs said that these areas we're at LOW RISK compared to the other areas in the West Yorkshire Brigade, one appliance would be made operational and fully manned up, while the other one would be idle. The proposed site could well be the former colliery site at South Kirkby and that the Council hold the lease to this site. During the debate Councillor Tom Alsopp the local Labour Party Chairman stood up and said '' why are there people here from Hemsworth, Kinsley and Fitzwilliam here, when this meeting is just for South Kirkby'' his question was met by an angry response, one gentleman said '' Im from Hemsworth and I couldn't attend the previous meeting there because I was working shifts, any way this is a public meeting''. Questions we're still being asked to the Fire Chiefs until Councillor Laurie Harrison stood up and said'' This is Democracy and I would like to have a show of hands and wrap it up because I have had a long day'' and that he and Councilor Tulley would relay the out-come to the Council Chamber at Wakefield he said that it was the fault of the Conservative Government who was to blame for these cut backs, he failed to mention it was his own party that had got Britain into this mess in the first place, the time was only 8:30pm at this stage and answers we're still needed by the few members of the public. It was noted that the local MP Jon Trickett was absent from this meeting.

Above South Elmsall Fire Station.

Tom Alsopp

Local Labour Chairman

South Kirkby & Moorthorpe 

Town Council

Laurie Harrison

Labour Party Councillor

South Kirkby & Moorthorpe Town Councilor

Wakefield District Councilor.

Steve Tulley

Labour Party Councilor

newly elected

Wakefield Council.