In 2024, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service ('SFRS') announced its plans to close Banstead Fire Station and transfer the crew and engine over to Godstone. During the public consultation, I, along with local councillors and hundreds of residents raised serious safety concerns about the proposals, particularly given the expected increase in average response times for critical incidents.
In response to these concerns, the lease on the existing Banstead Fire station was extended for another year giving more time to search for a suitable site for a replacement fire station. During this period, an exercise was conducted to identify a viable alternative location in the Whyteleafe and Caterham area. Lambert Smith Hampton, a specialist commercial property agent, was instructed to undertake the search, however no viable sites were identified.
I recognise that a thorough and extensive search was undertaken by Surrey County Council for which I am extremely grateful, however the failure to find a suitable site leaves us in exactly the position we feared. Closing Banstead Fire Station without a suitable replacement means longer average response times for residents in the north of the borough. I do not consider this to be acceptable.
For Lower Kingswood, Tadworth and Walton, average response times will increase from 9 mins 7 secs to 10 mins 5 secs. For Chipstead, Kingswood and Woodmansterne it will increase from 9 mins 3 secs to 10 mins 7 secs and for Banstead village from 7 min 15 secs to 8 mins 47 secs. Although house fires are thankfully less frequent these days due to improved preventative measures, there will always still be those emergencies where every second counts. It's also important to note that in many of these villages, the Surrey Standard Response time of 10 minutes, which is the target response time set by SFRS itself, will not be met.
I fully appreciate that SFRS takes a Surrey wide risk-based approach when making decisions on how best to deliver an effective fire service. However, whilst other areas in Surrey may be safer as a result of these plans, our area will be less safe. The current average response times for the north of the borough are already at the higher end, so any plans should have been seeking to reduce the response times, not increase them.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has raised similar concerns warning that:
“Relocating its fire engine to Godstone Fire Station will inevitably lead to increased response times within the Banstead area, compromising public safety. It is widely recognised that the intensity of a typical house fire can double every minute. Therefore, any increase in response time is detrimental, posing a higher risk to both the public and our firefighters. We strongly urge a thorough reconsideration of this proposal and advocate for the immediate identification of an alternative location within the Banstead area to maintain current response capabilities”.
Given that the Whyteleafe and Caterham area has been extensively searched for a viable site, I will now be raising the need to find a suitable site closer to Banstead with the new East Surrey Council, which will take responsibility for fire and rescue services from next April. I will be formally writing to the new leader of East Surrey Council on this important matter of public safety asking him and his administration to find a better and safer way forwards.
