Fire service cuts won't impact local authority

Proposed cuts to the fire service in Scotland won't impact East Renfrewshire, bosses have reassured councillors.

- DREW SANDELANDS, LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTER

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has been carrying out a service delivery review which includes a range of cost-saving measures.

It has said the cost of bringing all facilities, including fleet and equipment, up to the required standard would be "in the region of more than £800 million" - and that is "not a feasible option with the funding available".

Councillor Gordon Wallace (Conservative) asked senior SFRS staff how the proposals would affect East Renfrewshire following reports of a "dire warning" over the future of services from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

At a meeting earlier this month, Eddie Kenna, the local senior officer for East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde, said there would be "absolutely zero" impact on East Renfrewshire.