Redruth Mayor concerned for fire station
Plans by Cornwall's fire service to close an existing fire station in Redruth has angered the town's mayor.
The mayor of Redruth, Ian Thomas, said that closing the fire station in the town would mean a reduction in service locally.
The fire service wants to close Redruth and Camborne fire stations and build a new station to serve both towns and Pool, at a location in Camborne.
It said the move would improve emergency response times.
The proposed changes could also mean a new shared emergency facility in Hayle.
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said the current network of stations had become outdated, with 50-year-old facilities hemmed in by town expansion and new roads.
Mr Thomas, who once worked for the fire service, argued: "They serve the whole community and currently they can reach all the Redruth parish and beyond within 10 minutes. Moving it further west must have implications."
Last summer, the Cornwall councillor for Redruth North, Lisa Dolley, called for a local referendum on the fire service proposals, saying she would go in with "all guns blazing and they will keep blazing until someone tells me that Redruth fire station has been saved".
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Paul Walker said: "Early indications from actual blue light emergency runs in fire engines indicate that we could get to around 15,000 more people within our 10 minute response time by simply relocating our stations, which is an opportunity that we should not miss."
A public consultation will run from 16 January to 9 April. The findings will be presented at a meeting of Cornwall Council's Cabinet in June.