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| Come on Huw, withdraw the proposal Now, whilst you still have our sympathy |
A Fire Station that stands between death and the people of Blaina, including the surrounds that the station serves within minutes of being called out. I mean how could I have sympathy for a man who would see the lives of our young endangered?
Being ex-military myself (the Brigade/Service is run like the military), I have never ever met or read of any Senior Officer who wished to see his forces and resources on the ground diminished, for he knows that reductions in available forces to deploy in a battle/fire could lead to defeat and the deaths of his men and I am damned sure that Huw Jakeway does not want that.
I am equally sure that although Huw Jakeway is the hatchet man for the Fire Service in South Wales, that that is not a part of his job that he enjoys doing and no doubt he will console himself with the view that; "he was only obeying orders" which is a defence that should never be allowed to work when lives are at stake.
I am also equally sure that Huw Jakeway will not be one of those Senior Officers, miles behind the front lines of the Fire Stations who receives a big bonus or salary increase as a result of successfully closing down Blaina Fire Station.
However, it would be interesting to know the names of those responsible for the proposals to close Blaina Station down and if they will be rewarded if successful in endangering the lives of Our Children and helping destroy Our Community.
I also do not envy Huw Jakeway having to go into a meeting with our Council to put forward the Fire Services Proposals, especially now that people have recognised it as a badly flawed piece of work and were it a gun, I would not like to have to pull its trigger as I am sure it would blow up in my face or the face of the person who attempts to use it - in our case that would be Huw Jakeway and this proposal will explode in his face.
Well yesterday, you read my take on the proposal and my responses to the information (notice I did not use the word facts) contained in it.
Well now, thanks to Councillor Lisa Winnett, the entire contents of that document must be called into question and I would strongly advise the people who are pulling Huw Jakeways's strings, to withdraw the proposal to close Blaina Fire Station now, before they are made to look foolish by having to do an inevitable U-Turn some time down the road. We are not going to let Our Station be closed down - it is as simple as that.
You will read in a few paragraphs from now, in the copy of an email, that Councillor Winnett has sent to Huw Jakeway, that she has unearthed evidence that the figures the Fire Service have presented are incorrect and if they the Fire Service used that incorrect information knowingly, then they are revealed as liars.
Well let us be generous and assume that it was a mistake on their part and also let us be even more generous than we should, and assume that when they wrote the proposals giving figures that showed a tiny drop over 10 ten years in our local population, that they were not aware that within a short time the Fire and Rescue Services of Blaenau Gwent are going to have to service a much larger increase in population, businesses and road travel with the building and completion of the new Racing Track that work will shortly commence on, in the Ebbw Vale area.
Here is Councillor Winnett's email to CFO Huw Jakeway
Hi Huw,
I am writting in complaint to the information that is given on your website, re the consultation of Blaina Fire Station.
In this document it states the predicted population to fall by 1.4% in Blaenau Gwent, over 10 years.
This is quite a controversial statement, as the component of statistics is just assumption, and it is very hard to assume what is going to happen in 10 years time.
Factual information and local knowledge should have been gained for this information, and I will show you why:-
Information From BGCBC's Electoral Division which is Factual information, not assumption.
2011 Blaina Number of people on the electoral register 3598
2013 Blaina Number of people on the electoral register 3608
2011 Nantyglo Number of people on the electoral register 3217
2013 Nantyglo Number of people on the electoral register 3489
As you will see from these figures there is an increase in numbers, therefore if local knowledge was used there would show an increase predicted in population to our area.
Information from our LDP officer. Our BGCBC's LDP plan shows that there are 7 allocated sites in Nantyglo and Blaina with planning permission to build 210 new homes before 2021.
Therefore based on the presumption that there are 2.1 people per home another 441 people are expected to be living in close proximity to Blaina Fire Station within the next 8 years, which is a substantial increase.
From the information that I have supplied to yourself, you will be able to see why I have stated that local factual knowledge should have been gained.
One last example, the 2008 National Statistic predicted a raise in population to Blaenau Gwent, but 2011 National Statistics (released last week) show the opposite,
Statistics change quite quickly due to being assumptions, so it is always better to have factual local knowledge.
Can you please address this matter as a matter of urgency, as I personally feel that the information on your website is very miss leading to the public.
Can you also enclose this email as a part of my representation in the consultation process, I will be presenting you on Monday when we meet in Chambers with a written report outlining my reason's against the closure.
Yours Sincerely
Lisa Winnett
County Borough Councillor
Excellent work Lisa, excellent.
Now any reasonable person who has read the Fire Services Proposal to close Blaina Fire Station will see that the small financial savings that the Fire Service can make in closing down the station is by far outweighed by the excellent service and protection of lives that the station provides to the surrounding and increasing numbers in Our Community.
It is time now Huw, for you to pick up the phone and arrange to meet with the hard working FBU representative Mark Watt and sort this silly nonsense out now and withdraw your bosses proposals - you do not want this battle, Blaina does not want this battle and I dread to think how Blaina Fire Fighters must feel when going out on a call - that could be their last - with your Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.
Please people, go here and fill in the Fire Service Survey. Thank you, or as Firefighter Nigel Meek would say when doing his Elvis impression, "Thank you very much, thank you".
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