RORY CELEBRATES TRIUMPH OF PENRITH’S FIRE APPLIANCE CAMPAIGN

Rory has greeted today’s news that Cumbria County Council has abandoned its plans to remove fire appliances from stations across Cumbria, including Penrith, as a ‘community triumph’, and has paid tribute to the thousands of constituents who have supported the campaign to retain Penrith station’s second appliance.

The news comes soon after Rory joined hundreds of local residents to march through Penrith’s town centre, led by retained fire fighter Dawn Coates. Local campaigners marched from Middlegate to the Corn Market bandstand, where volunteers were standing by to gather further signatures for their petition – already signed by thousands – and to inform local residents how to contact those councillors responsible for deciding the future of Cumbria’s Fire and Rescue Services. It seems that the community’s lobbying activities have paid off.

Rory Stewart MP speaking today said: “I couldn’t be more pleased to learn that following this morning’s Cabinet meeting, recommendations have been made to save all of Cumbria’s threatened fire appliances, and to make savings elsewhere. Thousands of Cumbrians have argued, lobbied and demonstrated for the retention of our appliances, and have worked hard to prove that savings can and should be made. The public support for our engines has been emphatic. Those members of the public who have really gone that extra mile to make their opinions known, and who joined me on the streets of Penrith to express their support, should be very proud that their voices have been heard. We have reinforced an important message: that where savings can be made, and where local knowledge and expertise can evidence such savings, we can all co-operate to find solutions for our communities. Today’s news is resounding proof of the importance of that message.”