A broad group of elected representatives, community activists and unions want the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to stop the proposed permanent closure of Marionville Fire Station pending an independent review
The future of Marionville Fire Station in Lochend has become the focus of a united appeal from local leaders, political figures and community organisations who argue that the case for shutting the station has not been properly evidenced. The station has been identified in a Scotland‑wide reorganisation by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and is proposed to have its appliance moved to Newcraighall.
Signatories from across the political divide say the process that produced this recommendation suffered from critical gaps and misleading statements that demand urgent scrutiny.
Those contesting the closure base much of their argument on disclosures obtained through a Freedom of Information request, which they say exposed omissions from the SFRS’s key review documents, notably the Options Appraisal and Hurdle Criteria.
They maintain that several large developments and other local risk factors were not referenced, and that technical statements about site availability and the station’s condition were inaccurate or unsupported by documented searches. On that basis they ask the Fire Board either to reject the closure or to defer any decision until an independent review can assess both the evidence and the process.
Alleged omissions and their potential impact
According to the group, neither the Options Appraisal nor the Hurdle Criteria acknowledged an estimated 3,500 new homes within roughly one mile of Marionville. This total includes a 700‑home scheme at Meadowbank and a much larger Seafield project of about 2,700 homes, together with the possibility of a tram extension. The coalition highlights also the planned regeneration at Leith Docks and a surge in purpose‑built student accommodation nearby, which they argue represent different and in some cases higher fire risk profiles than traditional housing. Their contention is that had these facts been included at the assessment stage, the outcome might have been materially different.
What the FOI responses say
The FOI replies cited by campaigners reportedly show that SFRS’s appointed agent did not prepare a formal site search report for Marionville, and that the service did not carry out a reconfiguration analysis for Duddingston, which the review itself identified as the “optimal” location. Campaigners therefore call into question an assertion by the Chief Fire Officer that there was a lack of suitable or affordable alternative sites. They also point to a separate survey of the station’s structure — raised because of concerns over RAAC concrete — which, the FOI shows, concluded the facility remains in “fair operational condition” and was otherwise fit for purpose, undermining claims of an immediate safety risk that would force closure.
Operational pressures and safety implications
Beyond planning and property issues, the open letter frames the proposal against a backdrop of strained frontline capacity across Scotland. The coalition notes daily shortfalls that leave between 150 and 200 appliances unavailable because of staffing shortages, an operational reality that in Edinburgh and the Lothians has led to routine redeployments of wholetime appliances to cover neighbouring towns. They cite data showing that second appliances at Crewe Toll, McDonald Road and Sighthill were unavailable on 1,105 occasions during 2026 and 2026, a situation made more acute by the temporary withdrawal of ten frontline appliances in September 2026. The group warns that removing Marionville permanently would further degrade local cover and increase risk to both the public and crews.
Public response and the request for reassessment
The campaigners also draw attention to the strength of local feeling recorded during the public consultation: responses related to Marionville reportedly made up nearly a quarter of submissions and were around ten to one against closure. On that basis they argue the review was structured in a way that favoured a predetermined outcome, with essential information omitted at key stages and subsequent communications to elected representatives containing misleading claims. Their request is straightforward: either refuse the permanent closure of Marionville or pause the decision until an independent examination of the evidence and the selection process can be completed, in order to preserve transparency and safety.
Who is asking and what they want
The open letter is endorsed by a cross‑section of political figures and local community leaders, including former Lothian Labour MSPs Sarah Boyack and Foysol Choudhury, Conservative candidate Miles Briggs, Labour MP Chris Murray, SNP candidate Ben Macpherson, community council chair Ruth Pearson, councillors Danny Aston and Joan Griffiths, as well as representatives from the Fire Brigades Union and tenants’ group Living Rent (Claire Leadingham). FBU rep David Strachan is also a signatory. Collectively they press the Fire Board to either reject the closure plan or to commission an independent review to restore confidence in a process that affects public safety and neighbourhood resilience.
