The fight to save Clerkenwell fire station heads to one of the most powerful courts in the land this morning.
Islington Council, along with six other London authorities, has taken the battle to protect the beleaguered fire stations to the Royal Courts of Justice in a hearing due to start at 10.30am and last until Thursday.
The coalition of councils, which includes Southwark, Camden, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Lewisham and Greenwich, are seeking a judicial review of the decision by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority to implement a plan that would close 10 stations across the capital.
The cuts, designed to save £30million over the next two years, would also see the loss of 14 fire engines and 552 firefighters.
Cllr Paul Convery, executive member for community safety at Islington Council, which is leading the application on behalf of the seven councils, said: “Together, we are bringing this legal action to protect our communities from cuts which we believe will make many of our residents less safe.
“We believe these cuts are flawed, and are taking legal action to stop these cuts being implemented and having an impact on Londoners’ safety.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here