PLANS for a combined Hampshire and Isle of Wight fire authority took a step closer to reality last week.

The Isle of Wight Council approved plans which pave the way for a business case to be drawn up and a 12-week public consultation to begin.

The recommendation was approved 23 votes to eight, with two abstentions.

The decision came after a heated debate at full council last Wednesday over plans to merge the Island's fire service with Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Operational changes proposed in a recent review of the Island's fire service are not linked to this proposal.

Cllr Reg Barry expressed concerns over the proposals and said it seemed “a done deal with Hampshire.”

An amendment, tabled by Cllr Ian Stephens, which recommended putting the business case and consultation on hold, was defeated by 23 votes to 12.

Council leader Cllr Dave Stewart said: "This report is saying to the IW, this is what's on the table, we have not made a decision, what do you think?

"People need enough information to make their own decision. They don't need to be told what to do and we very much are going to respect the views of the Island because this is going to be a very topical subject."

Cllr Geoff Brodie said full council should have the final say on the merger, but was told the decision could only be made by the council's ruling cabinet.

It would then go to the Secretary of State for final approval.

Cllr Brodie said: "We have a situation here where we have a Police and Crime Commissioner holding a gun to the head of the Island in terms of its fire authority.

"We all know that unless we go through this performance and the outcome is a combined fire authority for Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and the IW, he will probably step in and do it anyway.

"He's going to bully the Island into a fire authority that will no longer put the Island first and I seriously worry about that. What else is going to slip away? Are we going to see other county functions slip away, and we end up as a district council?"

Advantages to a new combined authority include aligning safety campaigns and increasing operational capacity.

The new combined authority would be made up of members from all relevant councils, who would make decisions on all fire related matters.

The report put before council showed the 2018/19 budget for the IW's Fire and Rescue service is £7 million, compared to Hampshire Fire and Rescue's budget of just under £65 million.