5 Councils Seek Judicial Review Over London Fire Cuts

The Islington Council is leading calls for a review of the London mayor’s approval of fire service cuts in the capital.

A cohort of London local councils say they are preparing a legal challenge to Mayor Boris Johnson’s decision to go ahead with proposed cuts to London’s fire services. The plan, meant to save GB pound 28.8 million over two years, would include closing 10 fire stations, removing 14 engines, and cutting 550 jobs.

Explore which London fire stations are scheduled to be closed.

Johnson overruled a narrow decision by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) not to execute the cuts. He wants the plan implemented by 16 September. Two stations that had been targeted for closure (Clapham and New Cross) have received reprieves.

Ian Leahair, executive member for London for the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), called the mayor’s decision an “affront to democracy” in a press release.

The cuts are dangerous and wrong, and this is devastating news for Londoners, with lives across the capital being put at risk by the Mayor’s reckless cuts.
Johnson has simply ignored the evidence, and his cuts will mean slower response times for 4 million Londoners.

Growing discontent

The number of local councils expected to challenge the cuts in court is growing. Hackney has added its voice to those of Islington, Camden, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, and possibly Lewisham.

Islington Labour councillor Joe Caluori told the BBC that a judicial review was “the only way we can stop this from happening.” His council will seek the review on the grounds that the mayor did not listen to the consultation responses, and that the changes would put lives at risk do not take high-rise buildings into account.

The BBC reported: “Ninety four per cent of Londoners who took part in the public consultation opposed frontline cuts in the London Fire Brigade.”

London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson made the original cost-cutting proposal in January. When he issued a revised plan (which the LFEPA rejected) in July, he said in a press release:

We have to acknowledge that the number of fires we attend has gone down by half in the last ten years, and our latest figures show that fires continued to fall at the same rate last year…
Fire stations and fire engines do not stop fires happening — proactive prevention work does.

A letter of intent — the first step in a judicial review — will be sent to the mayor in the next few days. After that, lawyers will give their final opinion on whether the case is strong enough to go ahead.

Related posts:

• Fire Service Report Reactions: Cuts Could Lead to Fire Increases
• Opinions Split Over Future of Fire Services
• London Fire Closures Under Consultation