Our firefighters at Staffordshire Fire and Rescue work tirelessly around the clock to keep our communities safe, so it was a pleasure to visit Bilbrook Fire Station recently alongside County Councillor Val Chapman.
During the visit, we discussed a number of important issues, including the challenges emergency services can face when accessing rural sites earmarked for major development. Many of our country lanes are simply not wide enough to accommodate a fire engine, and ensuring firefighters can reach an incident quickly and safely must be a key consideration when new developments are planned.
I also spoke with Station Manager Daniel Stredder about fire safety at Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) sites. The risk of thermal runaway in the event of a fault makes it essential that these facilities are subject to robust planning and fire safety standards.
I’m continuing to work closely with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue as I develop my forthcoming Battery Energy Storage Planning and Regulation Bill. The Bill will seek to strengthen planning and fire safety requirements for BESS sites, helping to ensure they are appropriately located, properly regulated and safe for the communities in which they operate.
The expertise and experience of our firefighters is invaluable, and I look forward to continuing to work with them to help strengthen safety standards and protect our local communities.