Council rejects fire station land sale block

Members of North Yorkshire Fire Authority will this afternoon consider fresh proposals to relocate one of York’s two city centre fire engines to Huntington fire station.

Fire chiefs say the move will result in a better service to 31,000 people in towns and villages north of York, although they say the engine could be used mainly as a “roaming appliance” within the inner ring road during the day.

But rank-and-file firefighters and conservation watchdogs are opposed to the change, amid continuing worries about increased fire risks to the city’s timber-framed medieval buildings and their occupants.

Green councillor and former York heritage champion Dave Taylor called on the authority’s executive last night to refuse to sell land in Kent Street for a new fire station, unless the fire authority agrees to site two fire engines and also a turntable ladder there.

He also suggested the council could instead defer any decision on the sale.

But Labour council leader James Alexander said while the council had discretion as to who it sold land to, or bought land from, it was obliged to seek the best value for the council taxpayer and not constrain the opportunity for best return from its assets.

He said after an investigation, it was clear setting conditions on the sale of land could impact on the land value.

He said Labour had pushed for two pumps at Kent Street and still had some concerns about the changes being proposed and would therefore be pushing for a 12-month review of any changes, as well as opposing vigorously any future front line service reductions that could be proposed using the changes as a precursor.

Coun Alexander said: “We feel a city centre fire station is important to the city. Without such a site in the city centre, the Fire Authority will go back to square one and York will have no city centre station because Clifford Street is no longer viable.”