independent Cornish news and comment

Anger at Decision to Move Fire Control Room

Mebyon Kernow has condemned the Government’s announcement that it plans to scrap Cornwall’s emergency fire control room and instead create a ‘South West Regional Control Room,’ run by a private firm.

This centralisation of control room services out of Cornwall will also mean the loss of 17 jobs in Truro.

Hilda Wasley, MK’s economy spokesperson and the prospective parliamentary candidate for Falmouth and Camborne, branded John Prescott’s proposal as “crass, insulting and without logic.�

“John Prescott is playing politics with people’s lives and that is unacceptable. Cornwall needs a local control room that is staffed by local people with a detailed knowledge of Cornwall. This ‘South West Regional Control Room’ would be a disaster for Cornwall� she said.

Two weeks ago Hilda Wasley led a debate at Mebyon Kernow’s Annual Conference which saw the Party re-affirm its commitment to a combined control centre based in Cornwall for all the Cornish Emergency Services, including fire, police, ambulance, coastguard, lifeboat and mine rescue.

She is also championing a petition (organised by MK in the Falmouth and Camborne constituency) to this affect. It has already been signed by nearly 1000 people.

Hilda Wasley added: “The Government’s obsession with creating artificial ‘south west’ regional bodies is doing great damage to the Cornish economy and undermining democracy in Cornwall. But Prescott’s latest hare-brained scheme could actually cost Cornish lives. We must do all that we can to fight it.�