Fire service board members will now make decisions on their service review after the Scottish Parliament election
A decision in the national fire service review which could impact crew hours and appliance locations across Lanarkshire has been delayed until after May’s Scottish Parliament election.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) officials say that they will be unable to complete the work of reviewing 3700 public consultation responses and making final board-level recommendations on the raft of proposals before a mandatory pre-election period in which public bodies are prevented from making significant announcements and policy decisions.
It means an outcome in the review – which could make permanent the withdrawal of the second fire engine from Hamilton, which was temporarily removed in 2023, and Lanarkshire shift changes including the introduction of on-call crewing – is now expected by late June, six months later than originally planned.
SFRS last year ran a three-month public consultation on 30 change proposals affecting stations and crews across Scotland, with two options put forward for Lanarkshire; one of which would permanently withdraw Hamilton’s second appliance and switch another at Cumbernauld to staffing by wholetime firefighters from 8am to 6pm on weekdays and using on-call personnel outside those times while also carrying out necessary building repairs.
The other would reintroduce the second fire engine at Hamilton and add another at Bellshill, both crewed on a dayshift-only basis, with the second appliance at Cumbernauld having daytime cover from wholetime firefighters and then on-call crews outside those hours; along with introducing a nucleus crew of dayshift firefighters at Lesmahagow, to be “tactically deployed across the area when on-call availability is most challenging”.
Public events took place in Hillhouse and Lesmahagow during the consultation; while respondents included South Lanarkshire Council, who made an alternative proposal suggesting that second 24/7 fire engine be restored to Hamilton, citing the Bothwell Road’s more central location and motorway links compared to Cumbernauld.
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SFRS chief officer Stuart Stevens told members of the Scottish Parliament’s criminal justice committee that the review process and recommendations will not now be completed before the crucial start date of the statutory pre-election period in March.
With independent researchers working to analyse both the thousands of public and staff responses plus “the operational evidence that informed the proposals”, he announced: “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 service delivery 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 for staff, stakeholders and communities where changes are proposed; however, this is a complex process, and it is essential that we take a robust and considered approach.”
He also told MSPs at the committee meeting that balancing the budget for 2026-27 remains “challenging” for the fire service, saying: “The draft budget for next year, along with the Scottish spending review, potentially creates a significant resource funding gap for the service.
“Discussions are ongoing as to how we can achieve a balanced budget this year and where additional savings can be made. Whilst the financial situation is challenging, we will do everything we can to protect our frontline services and prioritise the safety of our staff and the communities we serve.”
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The public consultation included 18 public meetings and seven drop-in sessions attended by more than 800 people, plus 52 staff engagement events and nine online sessions.
South Lanarkshire’s response supported the option reinstating a second fire engine to the Hamilton station, noting that they had “raised concerns” regarding its withdrawal in 2023. SFRS has always emphasised that Bothwell Road remains staffed at all times and say: “There is no option to change Hamilton’s appliance from 24/7 cover.”
The local authority advocated for two engines to be based at Hamilton following the service review to meet current and evolving demand, adding: “The area is highly populated [and] currently subject to long-term regeneration to reduce retail floorspace, including new-build development of approximately 450 homes, provision of student or hotel accommodation etc. Various aspects of the regeneration plan are significant developments.”
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