Save Battle Fire Station

East Sussex Fire Authority needs to save money and has devised two options for Battle.

One is to downgrade the station to retained status from the current situation with full time crew providing 24/7 cover (those with long memories will remember that there have been previous attempts to do this which have failed).

The other option is to keep the full time status with extra staff at Battle but to remove an appliance from our nearest Fire Station on The Ridge. Neither is ideal but the latter is considerably better than the first for Battle and its rural hinterland.

The retained option (to downgrade Battle) is called 2b by the Fire Authority and the better option for Battle is called 2a.

What this ‘plan’ fails to recognise is that Hastings and Battle Fire stations provide mutual support both for the urban areas and for the very scattered rural communities. Since attending Road Traffic Crashes became a statutory duty of the Fire Brigade these stations are essential for the, sadly many, victims of RTCs on the A21.

There comes a point when essential services can no longer be cut.

I call upon our MP Gregory Barker to support the campaign not to downgrade Battle Fire Station and to use his influence as a Government Minister to cancel the cuts to Fire Authority funding.

I call upon you all to use your letter writing and lobbying powers to keep Battle Fire station for us all.

We’ve done it before and we can do it again.

Kathryn M Field

County Councillor for Battle and Crowhurst Division

District Councillor for Battle Town Ward