Following a determined campaign by Nia Griffith MP, Keith Davies AM, the Llanelli Star and Llanelli and Burry Port town councils, Labour councillors on the Mid and West Wales Fire Authority put forward motions at a recent meeting of the Authority which would give fire authority members more information about the plans for Llanelli Fire Station before agreeing to sign up to them.
Labour’s preferred option was not to sign off the draft plan until precise details about what is to happen in Llanelli had been clarified, but the minority Labour group on the authority did not gain enough support from other members to carry this motion.
They did however secure enough support to pass their fall-back motion, proposed by Labour’s Cllr Steve Lloyd-Janes of Hendy, which will allow five of the councillors on the Fire Authority, including the three from Llanelli to be present at negotiations between fire-fighters at Llanelli Fire Station and senior officers.
Commenting on the outcome, Nia Griffith MP said
“I am sure that our campaign, strongly promoted by the Llanelli Star, has influenced members of the authority and made them think twice. It’s a pity that more members did not follow the Labour members’ lead in refusing to sign up to the plan until plans for Llanelli had been clarified, but at least now, they will be able to hear both sides of the story and raise objections to any proposals they see as unworkable for staff or likely to compromise fire service cover in Llanelli. I will be following developments closely; I am determined to stop any cuts to our service in Llanelli.”