Fire officers' funding cut fear as they lobby MPs

Shrewsbury fire station hosted a meeting of the fire authority

Fire officers are lobbying MPs to challenge 'potential' cuts to funding later this year, a meeting in Shropshire has been told.

The county's fire and rescue service is concerned a review of the way local authorities are funded could lead to it losing out.

It was "awaiting announcements regarding fair funding whereby it is anticipated funding is to be reduced", which had "potential to impact upon delivery of services", papers presented to the fire authority said.

The Department for Communities, Housing and Local Government has been contacted for comment.

A government consultation on "fair funding" has ended and all fire services are awaiting announcements on what the outcome will be.

The review is aimed at fixing what the government called a "broken funding system" inherited when it came to power last year, and aims to "reset local government so that it is fit, legal and decent and can, once again, reliably deliver for our communities."

While there were "no immediate impacts, the risk of a reduction in future funding remains for 2026-27 onwards", a meeting of the Shropshire fire authority's standards, audit and performance committee heard.

Fire authorities receive funding by raising a precept from the council tax as well as government grants.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), which has looked into early data provided by the government, has urged it not to rely on increases in council tax demands to fill funding gaps.

Fire authorities are capped at £5 annual increases for Band D council tax payers.

The NFCC said this would not offset cuts in full when factoring in the expected rate of inflation and legitimate rises in staff pay.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.