Last updated

18 September 2025

Options for change

Details of what options are part of the service delivery review

Overview

On this page you we have detailed what options are part of the service delivery review.

Long-term dormant fire stations – eight options

These are sites that don’t have a sufficient crew to respond to incidents and recruitment efforts locally have been exhausted.

It is proposed that these stations are closed to negate costs to maintain them or refurbish in the future.

Option description:

  • Close the long-term dormant station at Crianlarich
  • Close the long-term dormant station on the isle of Fetlar.
  • Close the long-term dormant station at Nethy Bridge.
  • Close the long-term dormant station at Ratagan.
  • Close the long-term dormant station on the Isle of Muck.
  • Close the long-term dormant station at Colintraive.
  • Close the long-term station at Corriecravie on the isle of Arran.
  • Close the long-term dormant station on the Isle of Kerrera.

North Service Delivery Area – three options

Options

Details

Dundee city and Monifieth (Balmossie and Kingsway East)

Option 1

  • Close Balmossie which currently has one wholetime appliance and one on call appliance; AND
  • Reinstatement of second wholetime appliance at Kingsway East that was temporarily removed in September 2023. 

Option 2

  • Remove the wholetime appliance at Balmossie and maintain one on call appliance at the station; AND
  • Reinstatement of second wholetime appliance at Kingsway East that was temporarily removed in September 2023. 

Perth and Kinross
(Perth)
  • Replace the third appliance at Perth, which is a combined aerial rescue pump (CARP) with a dedicated high reach appliance (HRA). The third appliance (CARP) was temporarily withdrawn and replaced with an HRA in September 2023.  

Read the full options for:

East Service Delivery Area – four options

Options

Details

Edinburgh and East Lothian
(Marionville, Musselburgh, Newcraighall and Tranent)
  • Close Marionville which has one appliance that is crewed by wholetime firefighters. Move this appliance to Newcraighall and increase this station so that it will have two wholetime appliances; AND
  • Close Musselburgh station which has one appliance that is crewed by wholetime firefighters. Move this appliance to a new-build station at Tranent and increase this station so that it will have two appliances, one crewed by wholetime firefighters and one crewed by on call firefighters. 

Fife
(Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Lochgelly and Methil)

Option 1

  • Replace the third appliance at Dunfermline which is a combined aerial rescue pump (CARP) with a dedicated high reach appliance (HRA). The third appliance (CARP) was temporarily withdrawn and replaced with a high reach appliance in September 2023; AND
  • Reduce the number of wholetime appliances based at Lochgelly from two to one; AND
  • Reduce the number of wholetime appliances based at Methil from two to one. The second appliance was temporarily withdrawn in September 2023; AND
  • Reinstate the second appliance that was temporarily removed in September 2023 at Glenrothes. 

Option 2

  • Replace the third appliance at Dunfermline which is a combined aerial rescue pump (CARP) with a dedicated high reach appliance (HRA). The third appliance (CARP) was temporarily withdrawn and replaced with a high reach appliance in September 2023; AND
  • Reduce the number of wholetime appliances based at Lochgelly from two to one; AND
  • Reduce the number of wholetime appliances based at Glenrothes from two to one. The second appliance was temporarily withdrawn in September 2023; AND
  • Reinstate the second appliance that was temporarily removed in September 2023 at Methil. 

Scottish Borders
(Hawick and Galashiels)
  • Introduce a new system for the first appliance at Hawick, which is currently crewed by wholetime firefighters. This would see that appliance crewed by wholetime firefighters during day shift hours from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm. They will be supported by on call firefighters out with those times. The second appliance will continue to be crewed by on call firefighters; AND
  • Introduce a nucleus crew of wholetime firefighters at Galashiels. They can be tactically deployed across the area during day-shift hours when on call availability is most challenging. This would supplement the existing two appliances, one crewed by wholetime firefighters and the other crewed by on call firefighters. 

 

Read the full options for:

West Service Delivery Area – eight options

Location

Options

Argyll and Bute (Helensburgh) 
  • Introduce a new system for the first appliance at Helensburgh, which is currently crewed by wholetime firefighters. This would see that appliance crewed by wholetime firefighters during day shift hours from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm and crewed by on call firefighters out with these hours. The second on call appliance would be unchanged.

East Dunbartonshire (Milngavie) 
  • Introduce a new system for the appliance at Milngavie, which is currently crewed by wholetime firefighters. This would see the appliance crewed by wholetime firefighters during day shift hours from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm and crewed by on call firefighters out with these hours.

Glasgow

Option 1 (Cowcaddens, Govan, Springburn and Yorkhill)

  • Rebuild Cowcaddens on Maitland Street site and maintain two wholetime appliances. Reinstatement of second appliance that was temporarily withdrawn September 2023; AND
  • Reduce the number of wholetime appliances based at Govan from two to one. The second appliance was temporarily withdrawn in September 2023; AND
  • Reduce the number of wholetime appliances based at Springburn from two to one; AND
  • Close Yorkhill which has one wholetime appliance based there; AND
  • Reinstatement of second wholetime appliance at Maryhill that was temporarily removed in September 2023. 

Option 2 (Govan, Cowcaddens, Maryhill)

  • Reduce the number of wholetime appliances based at Govan from two to one. The second appliance was temporarily withdrawn in September 2023; AND
  • Close Cowcaddens which has two wholetime appliances based there. Maintain ownership of the neighbouring Maitland Street site for future development; AND
  • Reinstatement of second wholetime appliance at Maryhill that was temporarily removed in September 2023. 

Inverclyde

Option 1 (Greenock)

  • Replace the second wholetime appliance at Greenock, which is a combined aerial rescue pump (CARP) with a dedicated high reach appliance. The second appliance (CARP) was temporarily withdrawn and replaced with a high reach appliance (HRA) in September 2023. 

Option 2 (Greenock and Port Glasgow)

  • Replace the second wholetime appliance at Greenock, which is a combined aerial rescue pump (CARP) with a dedicated high reach appliance. The second appliance (CARP) was temporarily withdrawn and replaced with a high reach appliance (HRA) in September 2023; AND
  • Introduce a new system for the third appliance at Greenock, which is currently crewed by on call firefighters. This would see that appliance crewed by wholetime firefighters during day shift hours from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm and crewed by on call firefighters out with these hours. The first wholetime appliance would be unchanged; AND
  • Introduce a new system for the first appliance at Port Glasgow, which is currently crewed by wholetime firefighters. This would see that appliance crewed by wholetime firefighters during day shift hours from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm and crewed by on call firefighters out with these hours. The second on call appliance would be unchanged.

Lanarkshire

Option 1 (Cumbernauld, Hamilton)

  • Introduce a new system for the second appliance at Cumbernauld, which is currently crewed by wholetime firefighters. This would see that appliance crewed by wholetime firefighters during day shift hours from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm and crewed by on call firefighters out with these hours. The first wholetime appliance would be unchanged; AND
  • Reduce the number of wholetime appliances based at Hamilton from two to one. The second appliance was temporarily withdrawn in September 2023.

Option 2 (Bellshill, Cumbernauld, Hamilton, Lesmahagow)

  • Introduce a new system for the second appliance at Cumbernauld, which is currently crewed by wholetime firefighters. This would see that appliance crewed by wholetime firefighters during day shift hours from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm and crewed by on call firefighters out with these hours. The first wholetime appliance would be unchanged; AND
  • Introduce a new system for the second appliance at Hamilton, which is currently crewed by wholetime firefighters. This would see that appliance crewed by wholetime firefighters during day shift hours from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm. The first wholetime appliance would be unchanged; AND
  • Add an additional wholetime appliance at Bellshill to increase the station to two appliances. The second appliance would be crewed by wholetime firefighters during day shift hours from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm. The first wholetime appliance would be unchanged; AND
  • Introduce a nucleus crew of wholetime firefighters at Lesmahagow. They can be tactically deployed across the area during day-shift hours when on call availability is most challenging. This would supplement the existing one appliance crewed by on call firefighters.

Read the full options for:

Related content

Service Delivery Review

Details about what the Service Delivery Review is, why we need to make a change, and how the public and staff were consulted.