The Isle of Wight Executive have been called to an Extraordinary Meeting the day before the annual budget is set next week.
A paper relating to the Fire and Rescue Service sets out two options that Executive members will be asked to consider and vote on.
Joining the ‘Combined Fire Authority’
The Policing and Crime Act comes into effect from 1 April 2017. The act will legislate that emergency services are to “collaborate where they can demonstrate that there will be an improvement in efficiency and effectiveness”.
One option being considered by Executive members next week is a proposal for Dave Curry, the IW Chief Fire Officer, to develop a business case with a view to “enabling Isle of Wight Fire Authority to join the existing Combined Fire Authority (CFA) arrangements for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton”.
Strategic partnership already in place
The Isle of Wight council entered into a strategic partnership with Hampshire back in January 2015, but the councillors remained the Fire Authority for the Isle of Wight.
According to the council papers, the strategic partnership has been successful in achieving financial efficiencies and operating benefits for both partners.
Last year, the former executive member responsible for the Fire & Rescue Service Cllr Phil Jordan, argued,
“Great collaborative working between the Fire Service and Police are already taking place without any forced integration.”
“Ongoing pressures”
The paper goes on to add that, “Ongoing financial pressures, together with the national desire for more efficient governance models, means that further review and building upon the success of the current strategic partnership is timely”.
A reference in the paper is also made to the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) and how there “are common underlying risk factors which increase demands on both fire and health services”.
Giving the PCC voting rights
The other recommendation is that Police and Crime Commissioner, Michael Lane, is given a seat on the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority with full voting rights in matters relating to the fire service.
When Theresa May was still Home Secretary she transferred ministerial responsibility for fire and rescue policy to the Home Office in January 2016.
The paper before the Executive next week states that by giving the PCC immediate voting rights, the council will be demonstrating to Government that they are willing to comply with the Policing and Crime Act 2017 and collaborate with partners.
If this option were chosen, there would need to be a recommendation to Full Council as it would require a change to the council’s Constitution.
The Paper
A full statutory 12 week consultation on the development of the business case would be carried out if the executive agree to the recommendations within the report.
Full details can be found in the paper below. Click on the full screen icon to see larger version.
Image: Ray Forster under CC BY 2.0
