Plans to scrap several Oxfordshire fire engines shelved

At a meeting of Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet today (Tuesday, April 21), the local authority agreed to withdraw a proposal to remove the second fire engine at Thame’s station.

This was put forward based on low availability of crews and because the vehicle had been attending fewer than 20 incidents a year.

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In addition, Oxford’s existing Rewley Road Fire Station and its allocation of fire engines will remain as proposals for a new fire station north of the city are paused due to developer negotiations and the need for further engagement.

Finally, the specialist fire and rescue vehicle based at Kidlington fire station will remain in place.

These announcements follow a consultation between October 2025 and January this year on controversial fire service reforms in Oxfordshire which would have seen Henley, Eynsham and Woodstock fire stations close.

Protestors outside County Hall (Image: Esme Kenney)

Protests were held outside County Hall in Oxford and a number of senior figures, including Lucy Powell the deputy leader of the UK Labour Party, expressed their opposition to them.

In a letter last week to Liz Leffman, leader of the county council, Ms Powell said: “I would urge you to pause these cuts, engage with the Fire Brigades Union and the Government on alternative measures which protect jobs, and maintain the integrity of the fire service in Oxfordshire.”

Following today’s meeting of the council’s cabinet, Rob MacDougall, chief fire officer in Oxfordshire, thanked all those who had contributed to the consultation.

Chief fire officer Rob MacDougall (Image: Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service)

He said: “Building on that brilliant community support, today (April 21) Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet approved plans to work with communities to support recruitment at on-call stations, particularly in Henley, Woodstock and Eynsham.

“This is with the aim of increasing on-call firefighter numbers, so the fire engines are more often available for emergency callouts.”

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On-call firefighters are everyday people who balance their other jobs and commitments with being ready to respond to emergencies at a moment’s notice.

Work will continue to identify how Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service can deliver its key objectives of improved first response times, increased daytime cover, stronger service resilience, and an increased amount of fire prevention work.

Further engagement with employees and the Fire Brigades Union will take place to help shape how proposals could work in practice.

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for resources, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to the consultation, from employees to residents, businesses and politicians.”