Halesowen News
Deadline missed over Halesowen fire cuts
4:17pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012
WEST Midlands Fire Authority has failed to meet a deadline calling for cuts to Halesowen’s fire service to be shelved and vital documents to be sent to protesters proposing legal action.
Solicitors acting for the authority told the Community Fire Action Group’s legal team that they were unable to respond by this Monday (February 20) to the pre-action protocol letter warning that a judicial review application was planned.
Group chairman Halesowen businessman Tony Billingham said: “The fire authority’s solicitors came back to us at the end of last week saying they would endeavour to respond by the early part of this week.”
“I hope this response is a genuine attempt to engage constructively, rather than an attempt to drag the process out past the deadline for a legal challenge.”
But nothing has yet been received and campaigners, backed by Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris, have only until next Monday (February 27) to submit an application for a judicial review, which, if successful, would force the authority back to the drawing board to come up with a fresh consultation.
Fire authority chairman Councillor John Edwards said a response would be sent within the timescale of the judicial review framework.
The action group believes the consultation process leading to the decision to close the fire station and cut the number of engines covering Halesowen and Cradley Heath from two to one was “legally flawed.”