Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has raised concerns that crucial safety programmes could be at risk if proposed funding reductions are implemented next year. Draft figures suggest the service could face a 13.7% cut for 2026-27, equating to £5.1 million, though the government has stressed that no final decisions have been made and the figures should be “treated with caution.”
Chief Fire Officer Rick Hylton told BBC Essex that his priority is to protect frontline firefighting jobs, calling for a “fair, risk-based approach” to any allocation of funds. He warned, however, that difficult choices may be unavoidable if budgets tighten further. “Then some of those decisions become much, much harder to make and we’ll need to start having some really difficult conversations about what we stop doing,” he said.
The service indicated that any initial cuts would likely affect prevention and education schemes rather than frontline staff. These initiatives include home smoke alarm visits, road safety education, and multi-agency work with police and health authorities.
Essex’s fire service emphasised that its risk profile is particularly complex due to the county’s extensive coastline, three major ports, and two airports. Firefighter numbers in the county are currently 25% lower than a decade ago, adding to the challenge of maintaining services under potential funding pressures.
The proposed changes are part of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Fair Funding Review 2.0, which is assessing financial allocations for around 800 public services, including councils and fire authorities. Final decisions on the funding packages are expected in December.
A ministry spokesperson said: “No final decisions have been made and these figures should be treated with caution. We’re committed to fixing the outdated funding system we inherited and ensure that funding is properly aligned with need. As part of our Plan for Change, we will give people across the country the high-quality public services they deserve, and have made £95m available for Essex Fire and Rescue Authority this year alone.”
Mr Hylton said the service is “in a good place” in terms of preparedness but warned that safeguarding frontline staff while balancing budget constraints will require careful planning and potential cuts to non-emergency programmes.
