Changes to Fire and Rescue services in North Yorkshire and York

Following Public Consultation Commissioner Zoë makes her decisions on the new Risk and Resource Model for the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

After three months of consultation with the public, Zoë Metcalfe, North Yorkshire’s Police Fire and Crime Commissioner has made her decisions on how the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service will continue in its transformation over the next three years.

Underpinning these final decisions is the drive to help the public to be safe and feel safe in North Yorkshire and York.

The changes were first proposed to the public earlier this year, detailing how the Fire and Rescue service would seek to deploy its people, equipment and resources based on an extensive risk assessment across North Yorkshire and York, which identified the likelihood and severity of fires, road traffic collisions, water related incidents, and other emergencies.

Consultation with the public consisted of 12 public events at which 1,400 people actively engaged, three resident focus groups and an online survey which received 1,300 responses. Throughout this period Commissioner Zoë put the questions asked by the public to leaders of the Fire and Rescue Service and interrogated their response, scrutinising the detail of the data and evidence set out.

Commissioner Zoë has made approvals, subject to stipulations on some of the proposals, after evaluating the evidence and considering the views and opinions of the public.

Importantly, the decisions made by Commissioner Zoë enable any savings to be re-invested into vital areas of the Service identified as key public priorities; increasing prevention and protection work across the service area, which includes permanent investment into prevention and protection teams at this point and concentrating on improving the availability of On-call fire engines in rural areas.

Amongst the approved proposals is to change Huntington to an On-call station with the requirement for the Chief Fire Officer to implement an ongoing assurance review of on-call response time data annually. The decision falls heavily on evidence that there is more emergency response resource in the York area than the risk or demand requires, and therefore changing Huntington station is safe, and will enable capacity for more prevention and protection work.

The proposal to replace the Tactical Response fire engine at Harrogate with a larger Emergency Rescue fire engine has been approved and will be crewed only during peak hours. The second Emergency Rescue fire engine at this site will remain full-time, therefore increasing capacity and capability to respond to an emergency when demand is at its greatest, as well as improving resilience across the service area. Harrogate will pilot this proposal and after a 3-year review, the Commissioner will look to adopt in Scarborough.

Commissioner Zoë said:

“I have made these decisions to support the transformation of our Fire and Rescue Service based on extensive evidence and from listening to what is important to you, which you said was increasing and enhancing prevention and protection work to stop incidents from happening in the first place”

“During my consultation my office and I had many great conversations across communities, taking the opportunity to listen and discuss what the proposals would mean and how they were in the best interest of keeping people safe and feeling safe. I want to personally thank everyone who attended one of our consultation events and completed the online questionnaire – your views are always important.”

“Some areas of the Service will change, and I know change can be unsettling, but I remain confident that the right people, with be in the right place, with the right equipment at the right time, to support everyone in North Yorkshire and York.”

Jonathan Dyson, Chief Fire Officer said:

“The Commissioner’s endorsement of the proposals we have presented within our Risk & Resource Model, supports my professional opinion and strategic direction for resourcing to risk. Our strong focus on prevention and protection activities are the primary way for us to reduce risk in our communities. This provides a sustainable commitment to keep the communities of North Yorkshire and the City of York safe and feeling safe.

“The Service has committed to sustained engagement with our communities, to provide reassurance about the changes that your fire service will be putting in place.”

Other decisions which will be progressed are plans to reform, improve and enhance the On-call service in North Yorkshire and York, the introduction of a new specialist water rescue capability in Skipton and adopting principles which provide the public of North Yorkshire with meaningful, accurate and localised emergency response standards to help them understand what they should expect.

Full details on the Commissioner’s decisions can be found in the Decision Notice published on her website here: Decision Notices - Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner North Yorkshire (northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk)

For more information about the Risk and Resource Model Consultation visit: Risk and Resource Model Proposal and Consultation - Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner North Yorkshire (northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk)

To arrange an interview, please contact the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner on 01423 569562 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Review of the Ryedale Local Plan

Map of sites submitted in Kirkbymoorside, Kirkby Mills and Keldholme during the 2021 'Call for Sites' exercise as part of the Local Plan Review.

 

Site 10 – Kirby Mills (next to playing field) Site 10 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 40 – Land north of Gillamoor Road Site 40 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 41 – Land west of Alderson House, Kirby Mills Site 41 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 46 – Land off Gawtersyke Lane Site 46 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 62 – Land adjacent to Kirby Mills Industrial Estate Site 62 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 67 – Land to the west of Ings Lane Site 67 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 105 – Land east of Ings Lane Site 105 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 108 – Lund Barn, Ings Lane Site 108 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 117 – Land at Keldholme Site 117 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 135 – The Green, 16 Church Street Site 135 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 142 – Garden of 18 Church Street Site 142 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 147 – Bottom third of paddock behind 18 Church Street Site 147 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 213 – Wits End (Site 1), Kirby Mills Industrial Estate Site 213 Map Site Submission Form

Site 219 – Wits End (Site 2), Kirby Mills Industrial Estate Site 219 Map Site Submission Form

Site 252 – Land south of A170 Kirkdale Road Site 252 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 254 – Land south of Swineherd Lane Site 254 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 255 – Land at West Lund Lane Site 255 Map  Site Submission Form

Site 260 – Land south of Carter Lane Site 260 Map  Site Submission Form

NOTICE OF CONCLUSION OF ANNUAL GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY RETURN

Click here for Local Authority Accounts: A Summary of Your Rights

Click here for the unaudited Annual Return to 31 March 2022