The Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is currently consulting Surrey residents on its Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) 2025-2030. One of the proposals particularly affects our residents.
Proposal 1.1 – Relocation of current Banstead fire engine and crew to Godstone Fire Station
With the lease on the Fire Station expiring in October 2025 (and being unable to renew it for more than a year), there is a need to relocate the daytime (7am – 7pm) fire engine from Banstead Fire Station.
There are no other suitable sites available in Banstead and therefore SFRS propose to move the resource from Banstead to Godstone.
SFRS consider this the most appropriate site to maintain Surrey-wide cover, to ensure it can continue to meet Surrey Standard response targets.
Although this is presented as a proposal for discussion, residents do not seem to have any choice and the decision to move the appliance to Godstone looks to have already been taken.
The premises, behind the now closed Banstead Police station, belong to Surrey Police and we are told they wish to sell the premises for redevelopment.
Banstead fire station behind the closed police station
There is one full-time 24/7 appliance based at Epsom Fire Station, but apart from this, the next nearest appliance is in Reigate, which is 6.6 miles, and then we have Leatherhead as well as Godstone. All these stations have full-time 24/7 appliances.
The Surrey Standard response times are: First fire engine to critical incidents in less than 10 minutes and a Second fire engine to critical incidents in less than 15 minutes.
In a response to a question raised at Surrey County Council’s Annual Meeting, Cllr Kevin Deanus, Cabinet Member for Fire and Rescue and Resilience stated: “The current average to critical incidents in Banstead Village is 7 minutes and 15 seconds. After moving the crews and equipment to Godstone Fire Station, SFRS’s average time to critical incidents would be 8 minutes and 47 seconds to Banstead Village. This is still within our Surrey Response Standard.” (Note: This is not saying that a fire engine could necessarily travel from Godstone to Banstead Village in that time, as crew attending a critical incident in Banstead Village – and in our area – would normally come from Epsom.)
SFRS say that the relocation would enable them to provide a balanced service across Surrey as a whole, improving the response to the greater level of risk in areas in the north-east of the county such as Chipstead, Whyteleafe and Warlingham. Cllr Deanus added: “Banstead is not the most appropriate area for that fire station in order to provide the best equity of fire and rescue cover for Surrey as a whole.”
Residents may recall that when the Waitrose building in Banstead caught fire in 2008 ten appliances and 100 fire-fighters attended. Many of these were from the London Fire Brigade, and not just Surrey – our nearest cross-border stations are in Sutton and Purley.
Banstead Fire Station was set up in the police station in 2014, with the day-time engine being moved from Epsom Fire Station (leaving a single 24/7 vehicle in Epsom). This improved the cover in our area, with two separate fire stations nearby. Cover in our area will decline as a result of the move to Godstone.
Banstead Waitrose Fire 2008
Is it possible that SFRS are looking for the cheapest rather than the safest option? Whilst we do not wish to scare monger, any concerns need to be made now rather than when we experience a fire in the neighbourhood.
However, Cllr Deanus said: “The proposal is not whether or not the closure of Banstead Fire Station goes ahead because the fire station is closing in 2025 and there are no other appropriate locations. The consultation asks what residents’ views are on this so the service can look at this feedback and plan for some mitigations and solutions for residents where possible.”
You can review the proposals here:
And comment via the SFRS survey here:
You can also meet representatives from SFRS at a presentation being held at Banstead Community Centre from 3.00 to 7.00 pm on Tuesday 25th June.
The Consultation closes on 31st July.