JULIA Mulligan said tough decisions will have to be made as she outlined her plans for the future of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Mrs Mulligan, who last week became North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, today released an independent report which looked at the strengths and weaknesses of the fire service, written by former Oxfordshire Chief Fire Officer Dave Etheridge.

It highlights a record of fire reduction and effective partnership working, but said the service was in an “unsustainable financial position”, had no standard 999 response time, its buildings and facilities needed refurbishment, and suggested closer working with other organisations “to target higher risk businesses and vulnerable people”.

Mrs Mulligan said she would now identify savings and set an emergency budget by the end of March 2019, and review “all strategic aspects of the service”, to improve its outlook for the future.

She said: “The transfer of responsibility for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has been controversial, but today’s independent report shows in stark terms why it is so important for there to be a proper, transparent plan to ensure the service has a strong and sustainable future. This is not the case at present and the challenge I inherit is significant."

“What’s more, there have been opportunities to address the double whammy of a reduction in funding and increase in costs, yet the shortfall has been covered by using reserves. As the independent report finds, this was an unusual approach and not sustainable. It can’t go on – every day the amount in those reserves goes down, every day they get closer to running out.

“As a result of the financial pressures, and decisions previously being put off, I need to be up front in saying that tough decisions will have to be made. This means we will all need to pull together, so they are made in a way that ensures people and businesses across York and North Yorkshire remain safe and feeling safe in the future.”