The decision to reduce Harrogate’s number of nighttime fire engines was based on faulty information, it has been revealed.
North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe controversially reduced the number of appliances from two to one in her recent three-year fire service blueprint for North Yorkshire.
One of the main concerns during consultation was that if a second fire engine was required to come from Knaresborough in an emergency, it could get held up at Starbeck level crossing.
At a Harrogate Borough Council meeting in September last year, Ms Metcalfe allayed fears by saying firefighters knew the train times and could ring ahead to Network Rail if they needed to cross urgently.
Ms Metcalfe addresses Harrogate Borough Council in September last year.
But in response to a freedom of information request, Ms Metcalfe’s office has now admitted this was “incorrect”.
Tina James-McGrath, a staff member at the commissioner’s office, said the information was provided by a now-retired “member of the senior leadership team” at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and it was then “relayed in good faith by the commissioner”.
Ms James-McGrath added:
“It has since transpired as a result of investigating your query further, that the information provided to the commissioner was incorrect.”
She said Harrogate and Knaresborough fire stations “have an awareness of train times, but this can be difficult to predict” and the fire stations “will not call Network Rail when working at an incident on or close to a train line where working crews may be put at a safety risk”.
Ms James-McGrath also acknowledged “ad hoc freight trains also use the line and there is no process for emergency services to phone ahead”.
Starbeck signallers, she added, will delay lowering the barriers when possible “if they do see an emergency vehicle approaching reasonably close to the crossing” but “once the barriers are down the signaller must wait for the train to pass before they can raise the barrier”.
The proposed closure of Bogs Lane and Kingsley Road to through traffic would only add to the traffic at the crossing, she said, adding:
“Network Rail also noted that the traffic flow is at saturation point now and appreciates that the closure of the nearby road is not going to help this or the emergency services.”
‘The difference between life and death’
Pat Marsh, a Liberal Democrat borough and county councillor who raised concerns about Starbeck level crossing with Ms Metcalfe last year, said she was “greatly saddened by the response”, adding:
“I am really worried about the hold-ups that are happening at Starbeck crossing.
“I personally have seen ambulances waiting five minutes for the barriers to lift, this can be the difference between life and death.
“We need everyone round the table ASAP to discuss this very serious issue to ensure the safety of our local residents. People who really know and understand the issues.”
Read more:
- Drivers ‘dice with death’ at Starbeck level crossing
- Firefighters and councillors make calls to improve Starbeck crossing
Paul Haslam, a Conservative borough and county councillor, said:
“The critical issue for me is that Network Rail update the technology at the Starbeck crossing so that the barriers are down for significantly less time which improves traffic flow, reduces idling and makes access easier should we have the misfortune to need the emergency services.
“I have lobbied together with [Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough] Andrew Jones on this for a number of years. It needs fixing! The more voices shouting for this change the better.”
The Stray Ferret asked Ms Metcalfe’s office whether the information about Starbeck crossing was checked and whether she would consider reviewing her decision or agreeing to Cllr Marsh’s request for an urgent meeting but it did not respond.