North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel rejects fire service takeover bid
The North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel has rejected proposals for the Commissioner to take on responsibility for both the fire service and the police.
The proposals were put forward by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Julia Mulligan, to scrap the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, with the Commissioner taking on responsibility for both.
The panel, which comprises councillors from the district councils, North Yorkshire County Council, City of York Council and community members, has urged the Commissioner to reconsider her proposal in favour of a model which would mean retaining the current Fire Authority and giving the Commissioner a voting place at the table.
This is known as the “representation model”.
Hambleton District Councillor Peter Wilkinson, Vice Chair to the Panel said:
The panel, which provides scrutiny of the Commissioner’s performance, expressed its concerns at its meeting on 14 September.
Concerns were about the business case put forward for her taking over responsibility of the fire service, which would result in the loss of expertise of the 16 councillors who currently sit on the Fire Authority.
Councillor Wilkinson said:
The Commissioner’s public survey about the options for change in the way the fire service is run ends on 22 September and can be completed online.