Charlotte MacKenzie

Posts Tagged ‘firestation’

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The Tory pledge to Cornwall: cuts, cuts, cuts

In news on January 26, 2010 at 11:23 am

Cornwall Council leader Alec Robertson this morning confirmed yesterday’s Cabinet decision to agree to cut the Council budget and services by 20 per cent. With a warning that 1,000 jobs may go, he refused to be drawn on possible specific cuts.

It was inevitable that last year’s Council reorganisation would lead to streamlining of backroom administration in areas like IT and finance. There have already been some job losses as a direct result. Now the Council says it is looking to contract out some of this administration.

Labour’s prospective MP Charlotte MacKenzie said: “The Council’s Tory dominated leadership must now tell people in Cornwall which one in five of our schools, firestations, one stop shops, libraries, community and voluntary sector funding, and other services they intend to cut.

“The Council’s three year funding settlement from central government – which supports most local services – increased by more than 4 per cent this year, well above inflation.”

Independent reports previously concluded that the former Liberal Democrat administration lacked effective political leadership in it’s handling of issues such as proposed cuts to local fire services.

Charlotte MacKenzie added: “Now the new Tory dominated leadership seems to be following the Liberal Democrats’ poor example. Everyone who works for the Council and relies on their services now fears what these plans will mean for them.

“By refusing to take up the invitation to work as part of the new Council’s leadership, the Liberal Democrat group has placed itself in the position where they can only do what they sometimes seem to enjoy most: complain loudly, be ignored, and then blame somebody else.”

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Report criticises Liberal Democrat council leadership

In Uncategorized on January 13, 2009 at 1:02 pm

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Charlotte Mackenzie, the Labour candidate for Falmouth and Truro, commented this morning on the published corporate assessment report from the Audit Commission on Cornwall’s fire services. She said:

“Sadly, this report confirms what local people fear. Fire services in Cornwall have deteriorated under Liberal Democrat leadership of council services since 2005. Fire services are now rated as ‘poor’ rather than ‘fair’.

“Among other issues, the report highlights weak political leadership by the County Council and recommends that ‘councillors need to take a stronger role in leading and challenging performance’ of Cornwall’s fire service.

“This is not the only service to receive less good ratings since the Liberal Democrats were elected in 2005 – the same is true of adult social care. At unitary authority elections later this year, people in Cornwall will have an opportunity to tell the Liberal Democrats what the Audit Commission can’t – it is time for you to go, Cornwall deserves better local political leadership.”

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People in Falmouth and Penryn demand full-time firecover continues

In Uncategorized on January 5, 2009 at 2:10 pm

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The Labour parliamentary candidate for Falmouth and Truro, Charlotte MacKenzie, said today that people must be told about future fire-service plans.

Last year, campaigners in Falmouth and Penryn secured a victory when the Council lifted its recruitment freeze on full-time firefighters, clearing the way for vacancies to be filled and for Falmouth fire-station’s full-time cover to continue at night. However, a management report last October included the option of switching some of that full-time cover to other stations in Cornwall.

Charlotte MacKenzie said:
“Thousands of people signed petitions and joined the facebook group to save 24-hour full-time fire cover in Penryn and Falmouth. It is time the Council reassured the community and said what its fire-service plans are. I have written today to the new interim chief fire officer to make him aware of the strength of local feeling on this issue.

“The Council and Implementation Executive are now setting the budget for the new Cornwall Council. This does not include plans to increase the fire-services budget to take account of issues highlighted in the risk management report. If cover needs to be improved, the money should be found to do that. Cornwall is receiving the sixth largest revenue grant increase in the country. The Government is also providing additional funds that must be spent on equipping fire-services.

“It is great to see Commercial Road in Penryn return to business as usual after the furniture shop fire at night and despite the economic recession. Everyone knows that with 24-hour docks, oil storage, busy hotels and guest houses, university campuses and student accommodation, Falmouth and Penryn need full-time fire-cover at night.”

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Victory for fire campaigners

In Uncategorized on February 20, 2008 at 12:00 pm

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Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Truro and Falmouth Charlotte MacKenzie today welcomed the news that Cornwall County Council is allocating an additional £1.1 Million to local fireservices, ending the recruitment freeze imposed by the Liberal Democrat led Council in 2005.

She said:
“This is a victory for everyone who has campaigned for the Liberal Democrats to move local fireservices up the list of priorities. It will enable full-time firefighters to be recruited so that engines do not go out from local firestations without a full crew. Labour led the campaign to lift the fireservices recruitment freeze and I’m delighted that this proposal has been agreed by the full Council.”

“No guarantees have been given for Falmouth. Labour’s petition to save Falmouth’s 24-hour cover will remain open until the Council takes a final decision on Falmouth firestation and cuts are ruled out; it can also be signed online at www.charlottemackenzie.com .”

Photo: Labour supporters Charlotte MacKenzie, Lesley Trenchard, Diana Lambert and Gerald Chin-Quee collecting petition signatures at a Penryn supermarket.

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Visit to Falmouth firestation

In Uncategorized on January 22, 2008 at 4:49 pm

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As the campaign continues to save Falmouth firestation’s full-time cover at night, Labour’s parliamentary candidate Charlotte MacKenzie visited Falmouth firestation with Cornwall County Councillor Gerald Chin-Quee.

Local fireservices and the budget to support them is being discussed at the Community Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday 23 January. A report for that committee by Chief Fire Officer Matt Littmoden says that “Station strengths are now at an absolute minimum”. Falmouth Labour Party wants the County Council to lift the recruitment freeze which has been in place since the Liberal Democrats took control of the County Council in 2005, resulting in 16 unfilled vacancies for full-time firefighters. Independent assessment of the County Council’s performance since 2005 confirm that the fireservice only meets minimum requirements.

Speaking after the visit to Falmouth firestation, Councillor Gerald Chin-Quee said “The greatest risks facing Falmouth are at night: statistically more fires, more risk of death, greater area to cover geographicallly. Our population – thanks to the continuing influx of students – is rising faster than any town in Cornwall, with the widest range of risks (including the Docks) whilst being far from the A30 and having the rural hinterland to contend with on top. All this at a time when the fire service is 10% below strength, increasing pressure on the already failing recruitment of retained firefighters. Now tell me we are LESS in need of 24 hour fire cover by full time manned fire station. Its absolutely ridiculous. What does it take to convince those at County Hall – another Penhallow?”

Charlotte MacKenzie said: “We want the Council to fill the full-time vacancies which are currently leaving some firecrews undermanned in Falmouth and Truro. It isn’t enough to invest in improvements to the retained service. Ken Yeo and his colleagues should remove the threat to Falmouth’s 24-hour cover, which has hung over the firestation for more than a year. It is bad for morale – and the reputation of the service – for firefighters to be forced to respond to calls with less than a full crew. The whole service operates on the basis that full-time firefighters and retained crews are there when needed to back each other up. Cornwall County Council has an 8.5 per cent increase in Government funding next year and it is scandalous that they are not making fireservices a priority.”

Labour’s petition to keep Falmouth’s 24-hour full-time cover can be signed here.

Photos: (above) Councillor Gerald Chin-Quee and Charlotte MacKenzie with Falmouth firecrew and the specialist water rescue equipment based at the station.
(below) Mark Boeck and Charlotte Mackenzie.

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Save Falmouth firestation

In Uncategorized on November 29, 2007 at 3:42 pm

Responding to the news that Cornwall County Council executive are now proposing to retain the 24 hour firestation at Camborne, but refusing to withdraw their recommendation of cuts to Falmouth firestation, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Truro and Falmouth Charlotte MacKenzie said:

“I welcome the good news for residents in Camborne and Hayle. However, I’m appalled at the way in which the Liberal Democrat executive at Cornwall County Council have handled this.”

“It is totally arbitrary to recommend prioritising 24 hour cover at Camborne when they have previously stressed the need to consider the findings of the enquiry into the fire at the Penhallow Hotel in Newquay. They are still waiting for the risk assessment which should have been undertaken before these dangerous cuts were proposed.”

“I urge everybody who wants Falmouth firestation to continue as a 24-hour station with full-time cover at night to sign our petition.”

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Labour supports Falmouth firestation

In Uncategorized on September 26, 2007 at 3:57 pm

Members of Truro and Falmouth Labour Party will be supporting the walk to save local firestations in Falmouth and Penryn on Saturday 29 September. Charlotte MacKenzie said: “We started a petition to save Falmouth firestation when the proposed cuts were first discussed in January. It is outrageous that initial discussion of closing Falmouth and Camborne stations at night was undertaken with no proper review of the safety implications. And it is disgraceful that the Liberal Democrat led County Council will not rule out these cuts after the tragic loss of life in the Newquay hotel fire revealed how stretched Cornwall’s fireservices are. Labour totally supports the FBU’s campaign against these dangerous cuts and we will be joining the march on Saturday to say so. We urge everyone who wants Falmouth station to remain open at night to do the same, and to sign our petition here ”

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Falmouth firestation

In Uncategorized on July 17, 2007 at 5:38 pm

We are delighted the County Council is pausing for thought on the proposed night closure of 24 hour firestations in Falmouth and Camborne.

In January we started an online petition against the cuts when they were first proposed, which we submitted as part of the formal consultation.The County Council has received more funding than ever before from Labour in government. It is a question of how they choose to spend it and the Liberal Democrats have got their priorities all wrong. It is outrageous that the initial decision was apparently taken without a full report on the safety implications.We must keep up the pressure to make sure the Liberal Democrats don’t make Cornwall the only County in the UK with no 24 hour firestations.
 

 

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Keep up the pressure to stop fire service cuts

In Uncategorized on June 1, 2007 at 1:14 pm

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Truro and Falmouth Labour Party representatives were amongst people joining the protest against cuts to fireservices which the Liberal Democrat led County Council is proposing to make. Supporting firecrews on the protest from Union Place to Lemon Quay in Truro.

Speaking on behalf of Truro and Falmouth Labour Party, Charlotte MacKenzie said: “These proposals put lives and jobs at risk. The final decision has not yet been made, and it’s vital to keep up the pressure on the County Council to stop these cuts. The Government expects fireservices to be provided on the basis of risk, but the Liberal Democrat led County Council would rather spend money on free newspapers and bottled water.”

 

“We share the FBU’s concerns that these cuts would have an impact on fireservices and emergency response times throughout Cornwall. The proposed changes to night cover at Falmouth Fire Station would slow down response times after 6pm for all call outs to Falmouth docks, fires at sea, large hotel fires, fires at home, and to Penryn, where the local firestation closure was only accepted by residents because of cover provided by the 24 hour firestation at Falmouth.”

 

In January, Truro and Falmouth Labour Party started an on-line petition against plans to close 24-hour firestations at night in Falmouth and Camborne. This petition was submitted to the formal consultation in April. Charlotte MacKenzie is pictured delivering the petition to County Hall.

 

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Lib Dem firestation plans “put lives at risk”

In Uncategorized on April 8, 2007 at 2:46 pm

In January, Truro and Falmouth Labour Party started an on-line petition against plans to close 24-hour firestations at night.

Lesley Trenchard of Boslowick Road in Falmouth is one of many people who signed the petition. She said “Falmouth firestation covers the docks as well as thousands of homes. These proposals put lives and jobs at risk. It’s vital this petition makes the powers that be think again.”

 

 

Handing in the petition at County Hall in Truro, for the formal consultation which closes on Tuesday 10 April, local campaigner Charlotte MacKenzie said: “We are deeply concerned that the proposed changes to night cover at Falmouth Fire Station would slow down response times after 6pm for all call outs to Falmouth docks, fires at sea, large hotel fires, fires at home, and to Penryn, where the local firestation closure went ahead because of the availability of the 24 hour firestation at Falmouth.”

 

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