Region 11 restructure

The current Region 11 was created following the decision of Conference in May 2015 to merge the precursor regions 11 (south east) and 12 (southern). The merger has been monitored since its inception to ensure that the Members and Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Officials within the region continued to receive the support and representation they required. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service were subject to a merge on 1 April 2021 creating Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service. Region 11 therefore currently consists of eight Brigades: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire & Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex.

In the period following the creation of the new Region 11, occasional concerns began to emerge within the region which were brought to the attention of the Executive Council (EC) by the Regional Committee regarding the efficacy of the arrangements. Conference in May 2018 agreed to commission a fundamental review and evaluation of the FBU’s structure and organisation. A consultant with experience in this field and who has assisted the Union on such matters previously undertook the review and his findings were considered by the Executive Council on 17 January 2019.

The report was an organisation-wide review but included particular references to Region 11. It was agreed by the EC to commission the consultant to conduct a further evaluation of the region. This second report was presented in October 2019. The report concluded that there were matters which did need to be addressed. The report detailed those concerns and recommended that the EC take steps to evaluate the available options to rectify the situation. During this period the Region 11 Regional Committee, the Regional Executive and Brigade Committees in Region 11 continued to raise issues concerning the ability of the Region in its current format to adequately function to best serve FBU Members. In broad terms, the view of the Region 11 Regional Committee was that the Region was too large both in terms of geography and in terms of the numbers and variation between fire and rescue services and that due to the number of significant challenges and problems within the Region that workloads were close to becoming unmanageable.

These concerns were brought to the attention of the EC who commissioned a task and finish group comprising EC members and Officials from the Region to consider the scope of the issues raised in more detail and to report its findings to the EC at its meeting on 23 September 2020. On 25 September 2020 the EC agreed the convening of an EC sub-committee in order to consider the specifics of any restructure. The sub-committee reported its recommendations to the full EC 10 February 2021.

The key summary outcomes of the EC sub-committee were:

A. Having considered the matter in detail “no change” is not an option.

B. The strongly held conclusion and recommendation from the working group is that the current Region 11 should be divided into two separate regions reflecting the boundaries of the legacy regions 11 and 12 which were in place prior to FBU conference 2015.

C. That the decision is a matter for FBU Conference.

D. A FBU Conference should consider the matter at the earliest opportunity.

E. Measures specified in the recommendations are required in the run up to any such Conference to support the Region.

The EC sub-committee reported that it was acutely aware of the need to implement the restructure as soon as practicably possible. However, there was a lot of work to do within the region in terms of education, provision of regional office/s and work at head office in terms of membership, finance etc. before the final implementation date.

A further recommendation of the EC sub-committee report was that:

The EC is asked to agree that as soon as practicably possible, a Conference will be held which will consider an EC resolution/statement proposing the restructure of the current Region 11 into the two legacy Regions 11 and 12 which were in place prior to Conference 2015. That Conference will also consider the necessary rule change(s) to enable that restructure to commence, in this regard Head Office will draft an appropriate paper with the necessary proposed rule changes.

A restructure will result in the formation of the following two Regions:

REGION 11 SOUTH EAST REGION

East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and West Sussex

REGION 12 SOUTHERN REGION

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire & Isle of Wight and Oxfordshire

The current Region 12 shall be called Region 13 South West.

On 10 February 2021 the EC agreed the recommendations of the EC sub-committee.

The decision of the EC was supported by the Region 11 Regional Committee.

Accordingly, having considered these matters, Conference requires the EC to:

1. Restructure Region 11 reverting back to the precursor Regions 11 (south east) and 12 (southern)

2. Undertake the required work in relation to the restructure in terms of education, provision of regional office(s), membership databases, election of Officials, finance and to resolve any other consequential work

3. Introduce interim arrangements for current Regional Officials within Region 11 that they are to be considered as the post-holder within the Region which their FRS employer is located until their natural term of office concludes and re-election is due

4. Immediately commence the election for the EC member in the new Region 12 followed by further elections in accordance with the Rule Book.

Further, Conference agrees the Rule change (Appendix A) to allow the restructure to commence.

 

Appendix A - Recommended rule change

PRESENT RULE

Rule C1(2)

CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION

(2) For the government of the Union there shall be a Conference and for the general administration of the Union between Conferences there shall be an Executive Council.

In order to provide the fullest opportunities for the democratic administration of the Union, the membership shall be divided into 12 Regions as follows:

Region 1 Scotland

Region 2 Northern Ireland

Region 3 North East Region

Region 4 Yorkshire and Humberside Region

Region 5 North West Region

Region 6 East Midlands Region

Region 7 West Midlands Region

Region 8 Wales

Region 9 Eastern Region

Region 10 London Region

Region 11 South East Region

Region 12 South West Region

The territory included in each Region is set out below. Only Conference shall have the power to vary the boundaries of the Regions as it may deem desirable.

Region 1 Scotland.

Region 2 Northern Ireland.

Region 3 Cleveland, Durham, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear.

Region 4 Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

Region 5 Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Isle of Man, Lancashire and Merseyside.

Region 6 Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire.

Region 7 Hereford & Worcestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and West Midlands.

Region 8 Wales.

Region 9 Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Region 10 London.

Region 11 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex.

Region 12 Avon, Cornwall, Devon & Somerset, Dorset & Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.

 

 

PROPOSED RULE CHANGE

Rule C1(2)

CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION

Delete Rule C1(2) and insert:

(2) For the government of the Union there shall be a Conference and for the general administration of the Union between Conferences there shall be an Executive Council.

In order to provide the fullest opportunities for the democratic administration of the Union, the membership shall be divided into 13 Regions as follows:

Region 1 Scotland

Region 2 Northern Ireland

Region 3 North East Region

Region 4 Yorkshire and Humberside Region

Region 5 North West Region

Region 6 East Midlands Region

Region 7 West Midlands Region

Region 8 Wales

Region 9 Eastern Region

Region 10 London Region

Region 11 South East Region

Region 12 Southern Region

Region 13 South West Region

The territory included in each Region is set out below. Only Conference shall have the power to vary the boundaries of the Regions as it may deem desirable.

Region 1 Scotland.

Region 2 Northern Ireland.

Region 3 Cleveland, Durham, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear.

Region 4 Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

Region 5 Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Isle of Man, Lancashire and Merseyside.

Region 6 Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire.

Region 7 Hereford & Worcestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and West Midlands.

Region 8 Wales.

Region 9 Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Region 10 London.

Region 11 East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and West Sussex

Region 12 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire & Isle of Wight and Oxfordshire.

Region 13 Avon, Cornwall, Devon & Somerset, Dorset & Wiltshire and Gloucestershire

 

NEW RULE AS AMENDED

Rule Rule C1(2)

CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION

(2) For the government of the Union there shall be a Conference and for the general administration of the Union between Conferences there shall be an Executive Council.

In order to provide the fullest opportunities for the democratic administration of the Union, the membership shall be divided into 13 Regions as follows:

Region 1 Scotland

Region 2 Northern Ireland

Region 3 North East Region

Region 4 Yorkshire and Humberside Region

Region 5 North West Region

Region 6 East Midlands Region

Region 7 West Midlands Region

Region 8 Wales

Region 9 Eastern Region

Region 10 London Region

Region 11 South East Region

Region 12 Southern Region

Region 13 South West Region

The territory included in each Region is set out below. Only Conference shall have the power to vary the boundaries of the Regions as it may deem desirable.

Region 1 Scotland.

Region 2 Northern Ireland.

Region 3 Cleveland, Durham, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear.

Region 4 Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

Region 5 Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Isle of Man, Lancashire and Merseyside.

Region 6 Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire.

Region 7 Hereford & Worcestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and West Midlands.

Region 8 Wales.

Region 9 Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Region 10 London.

Region 11 East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and West Sussex

Region 12 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire & Isle of Wight and Oxfordshire.

Region 13 Avon, Cornwall, Devon & Somerset, Dorset & Wiltshire and Gloucestershire