Councillor condemns shabby treatment of firefighters

Date published: 28/01/2008

The Labour Councillor for Central Rochdale, Councillor Ibrar Khan, has accused council leaders of treating Rochdale’s firefighters with contempt and due to the decision to extend a conservation order on the Maclure Road Fire Station,  which could cost the taxpayer £1million.

Speaking after a last-ditch attempt from fire bosses at a recent Township committee meeting to prevent a further extension of the existing conservation order saw the plans put on hold, Councillor Khan said that discussions between the Labour Group and fire chiefs had revealed that the council had been aware of the problems at Rochdale Fire Station for years.

"The Greater Manchester Fire Authority representative who prevented the conservation order extension had, in fact, been invited to the Township committee meeting by the council and has a well-documented ongoing dialogue with members of the council about Rochdale Fire Station," he explained. His concern is that because a conservation order has been slapped on to the Fire Station the building has not been able to carry out much-needed repairs and firefighters have to operate from a damp, drafty and ramshackle building.

"This is bound to affect firefighters’ morale when they can see colleagues all over Manchester getting UPVC windows and powder coated doors while they have to make do with a dangerous, cold building that’s held together by bits and pieces of work to keep it health and safety compliant. The idea that working conditions of brave, frontline public service workers should be sacrificed to save an unused, deteriorating drill tower is simply absurd. Councillors need to get their priorities right and look after our firefighters."

As previously reported on Rochdale Online, the cost of carrying out a much-needed refurbishment of the Fire Station is estimated at £1million. Should the conservation order be granted to save the outdated, unused and structurally unsound drill tower, fire chiefs will be forced to seek new premises. A new fire station is estimated to cost over £2million.

Councillor Khan also accused councillors of feigning ignorance of the concerns of fire bosses regarding the plans to extend a conservation order and demanded to know why Council leader Alan Taylor had not disclosed these concerns to the committee.

"I am aware that Rochdale’s Executive Director Andy Zuntz had been extensively briefed on the frustrations of firefighters by the Greater Manchester Fire Authority’s estates manager," he explained. "I would like to know if Alan Taylor knew of the problems facing firefighters in Rochdale and if so, why didn’t he act on it? If he didn’t know, will he be taking this matter up with officers who haven’t kept him informed of these problems?"

At the Township committee meeting, Liberal Democrat Councillor Elwyn Watkins challenged the concerns of fire bosses regarding the conservation order, arguing that he considered "it very inappropriate to be handed this information at the eleventh hour."

"Councillor Watkins is guilty of an ill-advised remark", said Councillor Khan. "I find it very suspicious that the Liberal Democrats did not know of the public cost impact of this conservation order and the distress it is causing firefighters when there are two Rochdale Liberal Democrat councillors – Peter Clegg and Peter Rush – sitting on Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority. Do they not speak to their colleagues? It is their duty to represent these concerns."

He concluded by urging the Liberal Democrat MP Paul Rowen and Council Leader Alan Taylor to ensure that the council support Rochdale’s firefighters and guarantee them safe working conditions.

"Our firefighters deserve better," he said. "They do a great job and conservation orders should not be abused when their health and safety is threatened by poor working conditions."

Penny Sharp, Head of Regeneration, Rochdale Borough Council said: "Rochdale Borough Council fully support the fire service and are looking into how we can meet their needs. Conservation and planning considerations need to be accommodated, but we are working to resolve this situation as quickly as possible now.

"We are keen to work with the fire service to meet their accommodation needs within the borough, and will be working with them to find a suitable location."