Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, has strongly condemned Government plans leaked from the London Fire Brigade that reveal that two of Brent’s three fire stations could be forced to close to meet drastic savings targets.
Cllr
Butt said, “These plans are absolutely disgusting. If two of our three
fire stations are closed, this will seriously endanger thousands of our
residents. Everyone understands that times are tough, but you cannot
put a price on a person’s life, which is exactly what the Government is
doing.
“This
is yet another disgraceful example of the Coalition’s clear disregard
for people’s basic needs and rights. I am appalled that Brent MP Sarah
Teather would allow her own residents to be subjected to such a high
level of risk by endorsing the closure of frontline services that are
vital to keeping a huge number of people safe.”
Navin
Shah, London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow and Labour's lead
member on the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority said, “We
understand that savings have to be made, but the level of cuts forced
on the London Fire Brigade by the Mayor and government are truly
reckless.
“They
are cutting too far, too fast. They are hitting front-line services and
putting public safety at risk. The Mayor needs to come clean on fire
brigade cuts and tell Londoners what he is planning to close.”