TIME is almost up to have your say on cuts to a Valleys fire station and a Cwmbran appliance, as the consultation closes at midday on Friday (November 15).

Campaigners to save Blaina fire station, which faces closure as part of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s money-saving fire cover review, estimate that 3,000 people have filled in an official consultation handed out by the fire service itself.

Meanwhile 3,275 people have signed an unofficial online petition calling for Cwmbran’s retained fire appliance not to be axed.

Last month the Argus reported the chief of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Huw Jakeway, stating that there would be no extra risk to life by shutting Blaina fire station, but that cutting Cwmbran’s retained fire appliance to save £180,000 could lead to one extra death in 100 years, according to computer risk analysis.

The service, which has 50 fire stations and 1,650 fire fighters, must slash £2.8million from its budget before April.

It has already cut two directors’ posts, five middle managers, two area managers, 75 operational station posts – some of which went from whole time to retained – and 71 full-time support structure jobs.

Chief fire officer Huw Jakeway said the extra risk in Cwmbran is “tolerable”, as Malpas and New Inn could provide the second appliance for fires.

But because retained fire fighters must live within minutes of a station, compulsory redundancies could follow. Other parts of Gwent, like Monmouthshire, could see recruitment.

Margaret Griffin, whose fire fighter husband Stephen died tackling a blaze in the town in 1996, said she is hopeful that the station will be kept.

“We’ve done what we can and I think we’ve done better than anybody thought we would,” she told the Argus on Saturday. “I don’t think they can not take any notice of it,” she said. “It’s the people who have signed the forms and written on them, and it’s really obvious that no one wants this station to shut.

“We’ve had full support from AMs and councillors and people have been brilliant, it’s our community in the Valleys, all for one and one for all.”

Blaenau Gwent councillor Lisa Winnett said consultation sessions held outside Asda supermarket were too far away from Blaina itself, and residents had told her the consultation felt like “speaking to a double-glazing salesperson”.

“The crew have been phenomenal at getting the forms filled in and raising awareness so that people know,” she said. “But it’s quite shocking how many people didn’t know about it.”

Blaenau Gwent AM Alun Davies spoke to fire fighters and campaigners at Blaina fire station last month and said he believes this is “in no way a done deal”.

The fire authority, which is made up of councillors from across Gwent, will make a decision on the plans at the fire service HQ, Llantrisant, on December 16. Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MNTRRYX to have your say.