Call for clarity over delayed decision on Balmossie Fire Station's future
A Broughty Ferry councillor has called for clarity over repeated delays in a decision over the future of the Balmossie fire station.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) had been due to announce their ruling on Balmossie last December. It followed a review carried out by the service into their resources, including the number of staff, appliances and stations.
The station is facing the prospect it could be closed completely.
Another option on the table is downgrading the station, which would mean removing the wholetime appliance – leaving it with just one on-call appliance. Both options would see the reinstatement of a second pump at the Kingsway East station, which was temporarily removed in September 2023. A 12-week public consultation was carried out on the proposals last year, with the majority of respondents opposing the station’s closure.
However, in November the SFRS said they had pushed back a final decision until the new year. It was confirmed last month that the decision will be announced by the end of June after the Scottish Parliament elections.
Councillor Craig Duncan has now called for clarity from SFRS bosses.
Speaking in council chambers this week, he said an “updated and definitive timetable for decision-making” was needed from the fire service.
He added: “We were told after the consultation closed to expect the decision in December. That was moved to January and it’s now been moved to June. It’s leaving a lot of uncertainty, which is very unhelpful for the local community, not least for the firefighters who have their futures at stake in Balmossie.”
Speaking at the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee in February, SFRS Chief Officer Stuart Stevens said: “Regrettably, it is not feasible to complete the remaining work and internal governance processes before the pre-election period begins. Therefore, I can confirm that recommendations on the SDR options will be made to the SFRS Board following this period and final decisions will be made by the end of June.
“We recognise the uncertainty this delay may create. However, this is a complex process, and it is essential that we take a robust and considered approach.”