COUNCIL tax could be increased by 10p a week to stop plans to have no firefighters based at Yate station at night. 

Controversial proposals to make Yate Fire Station unmanned between 5pm and 8am, with retained firefighters on-call in case of emergencies, have been put forward in Avon Fire and Rescue Service’s integrated risk management plan (IRMP).

This would see full-time crews based at the station only during the day, in a move calculated to save the fire service £5million a year until 2020.

Residents, councillors and firefighters have spoken out against the proposal during the recent public consultation on the plans, which ended on December 31.

They said it could lead to job losses and would inevitably increase the time it takes crews to respond to emergencies at night.

In a bid to stop the plans, Yate Town Council wants to increase council tax by £5.16 a year per household, which is roughly 10p a week, with the extra money going to the fire service. 

Councillors said the historic basis on which the fire authority budget was calculated, when Avon County Council was abolished and the single fire and rescue service was established, has left them below the national government funding average and in a “poverty trap”.

They have asked Avon Fire and Rescue Service to work with MPs to seek approval from the Treasury to increase council tax to bring them up to average.

A town council spokesman said: “Currently our area is being punished for having been historically very efficient. 

“At the point at which capping was introduced, it was a very cost effective authority, and was spending far less than many other authorities.

"We have no doubt local people would be willing to pay the extra £5.16 a year to ensure they kept our local fire station on its current basis – and cite as evidence the huge numbers willing to sign the local petition to retain the service as it is.”

Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall said he had written to the chairman of the fire authority to raise the concerns brought to him by staff and Yate residents.

“I will of course be carefully considering the outcome of the consultation and would welcome any feedback when the consultation response is published in full,” he added.

Staff at Yate Fire Station had previously spoken out against the proposals, claiming that having only on-call firefighters from 5pm to 8am would put residents at risk as it would take them longer to respond to emergencies as crews would have to travel to the station before then heading out to the fire or crash.

Cllr Peter Abraham, chairman of Avon Fire Authority, which manages the local fire service, said: “We thank everyone who took the time to complete the consultation into our Integrated Risk Management Plan.

“We have received many considered and in-depth responses and we are grateful for submissions from groups including Yate Town Council and the Fire Brigades Union.

“We are currently collating all the feedback received in order to produce a single report for the Avon Fire Authority meeting on Friday, February 10. This report will be the members first opportunity to consider all the ideas and views put forward.

“The suggestions made by Yate Town Council will be included in that report and February’s meeting will provide the opportunity for their views to be discussed.”