Save Cranborne Fire Station | Act Now Before 15 May 2026

Fact Check: Is the Closure Justified?

DWFRS have published their analysis. We've checked it against the real data — and the picture is very different. Judge for yourself.

Topic	📋 DWFRS Say	🔥 The Community Says
The Modelling Assumption	All response times modelled assuming 100% appliance availability across the Service	A standard that no station actually meets. The replacement stations have real-world availability of: Ferndown 65.78%, Wimborne P4 38.28%, Blandford P7 57.59%, Wilton 65.73%. Cranborne's 40% availability is used against it — but the replacements are given a fictional 100%. This is not a fair comparison.
Service-wide vs. Local Impact	Average response time increases by just 1 second service-wide	The local impact is 4 minutes 19 seconds — buried in the small print. Averaging the impact across 67,561 incidents across all of Dorset and Wiltshire makes a critical local deterioration almost invisible. For the 190 incidents in Cranborne's own area, the real average delay is over 4 minutes. That is the number that matters to us.
Response Time if Closed	4 mins 19 secs longer to incidents on Cranborne's ground (modelled at 100% availability)	Real-world delays will be significantly worse. The modelled figure assumes Ferndown, Wimborne and Blandford are always available. At night, with actual availability rates of 38–66%, the realistic delay could be 10–15 minutes or more. For property fires with sleeping risk, the second appliance response time already increases by 4 minutes 2 seconds — in a modelled best case.
Road Traffic Collisions	2 mins 49 secs increase in first appliance response to RTCs	Second appliance data for RTCs is not reported — a significant omission. Serious RTCs almost always require multiple appliances. DWFRS states there is "no response standard for second appliances at RTCs" and therefore does not report that data. With 51 RTCs over five years on Cranborne's ground — the highest category — this gap in the analysis conveniently hides the most serious impact on our most rural roads.
Data Period Used	Five-year period: 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2024	This includes two full years of Covid lockdowns — artificially suppressing incident numbers. 2020/21 and 2021/22 saw dramatically reduced vehicle movements and activity nationwide. Using this period to establish a "low incident" baseline systematically understates normal demand, particularly for road traffic collisions. A post-Covid baseline would show higher need.
Future Development	No significant future developments in the area for next three years (rated Minor risk)	The Dorset Local Plan — published the month after this review — tells a very different story. The August 2025 Local Plan Options Consultation proposes 87 new homes in Cranborne, 107 in Sixpenny Handley, and further growth in Alderholt. That is approximately 200+ homes — around 500 additional residents — being added to this station's ground. The review appears not to have engaged with the live Local Plan process at all.
Financial Saving	£142,776/year revenue saving; £31,239/year capital saving	The gross saving — the net saving is never calculated. DWFRS acknowledges that 95.25% of operational activity will transfer to neighbouring stations, which will incur additional costs. Ferndown alone would absorb 401 additional modelled mobilisations over five years (80 per year). The report presents the gross saving figure without ever deducting these additional costs from the replacing stations. The true net saving is substantially less than advertised.
Station Freehold & Covenants	The Authority owns the freehold with no covenants in place — implying a potential capital receipt from sale	Publicly available land registry data shows a restrictive covenant on the site. The covenant restricts use of the site to a fire station only. This severely limits — or potentially eliminates — any meaningful capital receipt from sale. The report's suggestion of value realisation from disposal is therefore misleading, and one of the key financial justifications for closure does not hold up to scrutiny.
Wildfire Risk	Wildfire listed as a risk category in the review	Not meaningfully weighted — despite a major wildfire in exactly this area just weeks after the review. In August 2025 — one month after this review was written — the Holt Heath fire in this area of Dorset required mutual aid from as far as Merseyside. This area has significant heathland, ancient woodland and thatched properties. Climate change is increasing wildfire frequency. This risk is acknowledged but not quantified in the closure recommendation.

Why it matters

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Wildfire risk is growing

In August 2025 — one month after this review was written — a serious wildfire swept through Holt Heath, requiring mutual aid from as far as Merseyside. This area of Dorset has extensive heathland, ancient woodland and thatched buildings. Climate change makes local fire cover more critical, not less.

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Rural communities deserve protection

Cranborne covers 98 sq km of agricultural land, farmhouses, and rural homes. There is no substitute for a local crew who know the roads and the risks.

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Every minute counts in a fire

A house fire becomes unsurvivable within minutes. Adding 8–20 minutes to response times in a rural area with no public transport is a life-or-death decision.

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Flood risk is real here

Cranborne experiences flooding that cuts off road access. When that happens, Verwood and Wimborne may be physically unable to reach us — let alone within time.

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Growth is coming to our area

The Dorset Local Plan proposes 87 new homes in Cranborne and 107 in Sixpenny Handley. Closing the station now — before that growth arrives — defies all logic.

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Our firefighters are our neighbours