BEWDLEY fire station may not be as safe as it was made out to be at the start of the month as new plans have emerged to move the crew to a central hub and close the station.

Stourport and Kidderminster crews would also be moved and stations closed as part of the multi-million pound Wyre Forest blue light hub project from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFR).

The new proposals, which would merge the three stations to one central site while also host an ambulance base, a police base and The Severn Area Rescue Association, come on the back of a successful bid from HWFR to the government to enhance local services, which awards a £2.38 million investment into local services.

But, despite assurances from chairman of the Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor Derek Prodger, and the chief fire officer, Mark Yates, Steven Gould, Fire Brigade Union secretary, said the move would endanger the public.

"Now in Wyre Forest we're going to have a 'super' station which means closing more stations and less and less firefighters across the district, he said. "We are already a very lean fire service and again we're having to meet a funding gap.

"We're at a point now where if this goes much further, it will endanger the public.

"When you take fire engines out of town and put them in other towns, it cannot enhance services."

The announcement comes after a recent consultation across the two counties looking at efficiency savings and follows a local campaign to save Bewdley fire station from closure. As recently as October 1, HWFR announced that there would be no changes, including a guarantee from the HWFR chairman, who said: “Closing a fire station will always be a last resort for this authority.”

Paul Gittins, who campaigned to save the station, said even if all the full-time and on-call crews were all moved, it would add up to six vital minutes on responding to calls to Bewdley depending on its position, traffic conditions, and if other emergency calls were being dealt with.

Currently, Wyre Forest has one full time fire engine and one on-call engine at Kidderminster and just one on-call appliances at both Stourport and Bewdley.

However, before any final decision is made, a 12-week public consultation will take place in the new year and local communities will have their chance to make their opinions known.

Chief fire office Yates said if the project was approved, the service would work to ensure there were no adverse impacts on essential service.

“While we are pleased with the success of our bids, we will always have public and firefighter safety as our first concern," he said.