The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has appointed Anthony Mayer to carry out a full and independent review of the London Fire Brigade to ensure it has sufficient resources to keep Londoners safe.
One of the Mayor’s manifesto commitments, the review will assess the impact of cuts made to the service under Boris Johnson on the ability of the service to keep Londoners safe. Funding has been slashed by more than £150m since 2009, which has led to the closure of 10 fire stations, the removal of 27 fire appliances and over 500 firefighter posts. Under the current budget agreed by the former Mayor, funding is due to be reduced by a further £22m over the next three years.
While the Brigade has continued to meet attendance time targets, the length of time it takes for the service to attend an emergency has risen in more than half of London’s neighbourhoods and concerns have been raised. The Mayor’s review aims to ensure the Brigade is fully equipped to fight and prevent fires, and to respond effectively to a terror attack or a major incident such as flooding.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Nothing is more important to me than keeping Londoners safe. That's why I want to be reassured that our Fire Brigade has the resources they need to respond in the event of a fire or a major emergency. I am delighted that Anthony Mayer has agreed to undertake this review, and look forward to his findings so we can ensure every step is taken to keep London as safe and prepared as possible.”
The review will consider:
• The impact of the cuts during the previous Mayoralty on prevention, protection and response;
• The Fire Brigade’s ability to effectively manage civil contingencies
• Any additional resources required by the Brigade to work effectively now and in the future.
As part of the review, Anthony Mayer, a former Chief Executive of the Greater London Authority, will consult with fire brigade staff, members of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, local government and other emergency services and community groups.
The review will be considered alongside the Mayor’s terror preparedness review being led by Lord Harris. It aims to report in the autumn, and will help to inform the sixth London Safety Plan, the first led by the new Mayor, a draft of which will be published in November 2016.
Notes to editors
Anthony Mayer was Chief Executive of the GLA between 2000 and 2008, leading on London Resilience issues and on setting up the London Bombings Charitable Relief Fund following the July 7 attacks in 2007.
Since leaving the GLA, Anthony Mayer has been Chairman of the London Pensions Fund Authority and Chairman of the Tenant Services Authority from 2008-2012 and is now the Chairman of One Housing Group.