UNPOPULAR proposals to close Falmouth and Camborne fire stations at night to save the county council money goes out to a 12-week public consultation next week.

The first stage of the proposal to consider withdrawing cover at night was made at county hall on Thursday after members of a special committee heard representations from Cornwall Fire Brigade's chief fire officer, Matt Littmoden.

He said with the money he expected to get from the county council in this year's budget he could not afford to keep on the full time crews at night.

He said a reduction in fire crews would be maintained by natural wastage, full time firefighters retiring, who were not being replaced. There was already a freeze on recruiting full-time firefighters.

He said the 2007/08 budget did not allow for the lifting of that freeze and they had been reducing watches across the brigade.

"We reach a point where we cannot maintain crewing levels," Mr Littmoden told members of the community policy development and scrutiny committee on Thursday.

"What I am doing is putting these proposals in front of the public and authorities so you can get the whole picture. I cannot see that the budget is going to be that much different from the past three years and I think it would be wrong for me to come along now with one proposal and another proposal in a couple of year's time. I'm putting it all out in front of you now so you can see where we are going."

He added: "We have overspent the budget for a number of years and if we don't get out of these money problems we will be back in a year."

If the proposed night time closures go-ahead it will mean reducing the current full-time force from 206 to 171.

The committee approved a 12 week consultation process, involving members of staff, key stakeholders and members of the public. This will begin on Monday, January 15th.

"In 2005/2006 budget problems required the brigade to freeze the recruitment of whole time firefighters," said portfolio holder coun Ken Yeo. "The forecast budget for 2007 / 08 and beyond will not enable us to lift this freeze. As a result the Brigade has been forced to put forward some difficult recommendations to ensure it can stay within the funding it has been allocated ".

The formal consultation process will begin on Monday, January 15, and will end on Tuesday, April 10th. Information on the proposals is available on the Cornwall Fire Brigade website www.cornwall.gov.uk/fire , by telephoning O1872 322773 ; emailing enquiries@fire.cornwall.gov.uk or writing to Freepost XXXX, Service Plan Consultation, The Performance Department, Cornwall County Fire Brigade Headquarters, Old County Hall, Truro, TR1 3AY The Single Issue Panel will consider the results of the consultation at a meeting at the end of April when it will make recommendations to the Community Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee for its meeting on 31 May. The Executive will then consider the recommendations from the Scrutiny Committee when it meets on June 6th, with the final decision being made by the County Council on June 19th.

Following this Cornwall County Fire Brigade's Service Plan 2007 / 2008 will be published.