Three fire services should be merged and put under control of new North East mayor, says retiring fire chief

On the day that he announced his retirement as Tyne and Wear’s chief fire officer, Chris Lowther has called for a major reorganisation of the region’s emergency services.

A £4billion-plus devolution deal for the North East is due to see a new elected mayor take office next year, governing a combined authority that would stretch across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham.

The deal does not include any funding or responsibility to deliver fire and rescue services – but that is a power held by mayors in Manchester and London.

Speaking at a Fire Authority meeting on Monday, Mr Lowther suggested replicating that model in the North East by combining the Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, and Durham and Darlington brigades into one.

He said: “I will be lobbying the new mayor of the combined authority to consider accelerating fire’s position in the new governance structure. My professional view is that there is a significant opportunity to improve outcomes to the community and make efficiencies by having one fire and rescue service that sits under the governance of a mayor.”

Mr Lowther later told the Local Democracy Reporting that the switch “makes sense fundamentally for the public” and would allow for back-office teams to be merged and fire stations be located more strategically instead of being “dotted around an arbitrary border” between existing services.

However, the idea would be complicated by the fact that the area of the proposed North East Mayoral Combined Authority does not match up exactly with that of the three brigades – with Darlington not part of the new devolution deal area.

Asked if he would want to take a role in his proposed larger fire service if it were to be established, Mr Lowther replied: “I will support whatever my community wants me to support to improve outcomes for the community, whether in fire or a different venture.”

He added: “Who does it? No matter. I will work somewhere in the community and we will see where that ends up. But the important thing is outcomes for the community.”