Norfolk PCC Lorne Green's plan puts 'public safety at risk'

Norfolk County Council has overseen the local fire service since 1974

The Police and Crime Commissioner's (PCC) proposal to take control of Norfolk fire service would put "public safety at risk", a councillor has said.

Norfolk county councillors have voted for the fire service to remain in local authority hands.

PCC Lorne Green said one commissioner could mean more joint working and £10m could be saved over a decade.

But Margaret Dewsbury, chair of the communities committee, said the service was "safe in our hands".

Norfolk PCC Lorne Green has previously said there was a "duplication of time and effort" between the police and fire services

The Conservative-led county council will formally submit its response to the Home Secretary after the committee met for the first time to discuss its response to Mr Green's plans.

The Norfolk PCC previously said he was not interested in merging the two services, and each service would keep its own budget.

The council, which has run Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) for 44 years, said a number of concerns had been raised about the "reliability" of the business case put forward.

Conservative councillor Ms Dewsbury said it was filled with "assumptions and inaccurate information that just don't stack up".

She said: "Based on many years of experience, NFRS is managed efficiently, effectively and economically. It is safe in our hands.

"We are worried that the PCC is putting public safety at risk if he continues to pursue taking control over our Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service."

'Duplication of effort'

The eight-week public consultation ends on 5 September.

In a statement, Mr Green said he was "profoundly saddened" by the council's comments that he was "somehow putting public safety at risk".

"I am consulting widely on a set of proposals which, I believe, would improve our emergency services with the aim of making Norfolk even safer," he said.

"I firmly believe a change of governance would allow us to do more to protect the vulnerable and make our communities safer, but I think it's important for people to make their own minds up and to have their say."