As the leader of the steering group resisting the potential closure of Porlock Fire Station, I have been greatly heartened by the support Porlock and the wider community have been given by the public, councils and politicians to persuade Devon and Somerset Fire Authority to remove Porlock and others from the list of threatened fire stations.  

The matter is of great concern not only to the those directly affected by the closure but indirectly to the wider community, where the loss of fire and rescue resources will directly increase the risk to lives, property and the environment. 

The detailed arguments have been well covered by this paper and do not need further rehearsal. However, it is worth pointing out some 600 citizens marched two weeks ago to Porlock Village Hall and over 3,600 people have signed the petition raised against the closure.

This however is not enough. Everyone is encouraged to fill in the D and S FA questionnaire.  

The practicalities of the real world do not appear to be sufficient argument to the consultation paper authors, otherwise Porlock would never have been include in the list of potential closures.

The questionnaire, that is deeply slanted in favour of closure and challenging to respond to, will form the basis of the fire authority decision making.

For those that have access to the internet, I encourage you to respond on line at www.dsfire.gov.uk.

For those that prefer paper copies, the D and S FA consultation team will be at Minehead Library 11am to 3pm Thursday August 22, the steering group will be at Allerford Show on Sunday August 18, and will be running a drop-in service at Porlock Recreation Ground 6-8pm Tuesday September 3.

It is essential that your returns are back to the authority by Sunday September 22.

Andy Milne, Porlock Weir.