A Bradford councillor is urging an influential committee to review plans to axe fire engines and close or merge stations across the district in a proposed shake-up of the fire service.

Councillor Simon Cooke has written to Councillor Rizwan Malik , chairman of Bradford’s corporate overview and scrutiny committee, calling for “significant changes” in the fire service in West Yorkshire, to be discussed by the Council.

Details of the plan – which includes closing Haworth fire station, merging Shipley and Idle and losing engines from others in Bradford district – were due to be revealed today at a meeting of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority.

If agreed, they will be put out for a three-month consultation.

Coun Cooke called for the committee to find out what alternative options had been considered, how the proposals would impact on fire risks and whether there were other areas where the fire service could make savings as it struggles to make up £8 million lost in Government funding.

The Conservative Bingley Rural Councillor said: “This is such an important issue that people have been raising with us as councillors that I believe it needs as much discussion as possible.”

A total of 200 firefighters will be lost under the proposals revealed by West Yorkshire’s chief fire officer, Simon Pilling.

His proposals include the number of fire engines at Fairweather Green will be cut from two to one, with the lost engine to be replaced by a Fire Response Unit, a smaller engine to deal with less serious fires across the whole of Bradford district.

One of Keighley ’s two engines will be lost and the remaining engine will provide cover for Haworth and the Worth Valley when Haworth station closes.

A new fire station will be built at “an optimum location” to replace those closing in Idle and Shipley and one of Odsal ’s fire engines will be replaced by a command unit to send to major incidents.

Councillor Valerie Binney , a representative for Bradford’s Conservatives on the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, said the proposals were “a step too far”.

Coun Binney (Thornton and Allerton ), said: “I am particularly concerned that the high-risk station area of Fairweather Green is to lose its second pump to be replaced by a Fire Response Unit which will be based there, but will be used for the whole of the Bradford District.

“At the other end of the district, the officers are recommending closure of the fire station in the Worth Valley ward and also removing the second pump at Keighley Fire Station which again is a high-risk area in the centre of Keighley.

“The new Fire Response Units are fully-equipped smaller vehicles which are excellent for smaller fires and road accidents and need just three firefighters for operation, against five or six for the large fire engine – but there will only be one for the whole of Bradford district.”

She added: “In my opinion, these two proposals are a step too far. I am sure we could be given some more options to consider.”