The Combined Fire Authority for County Durham and Darlington was scheduled to consider a range of matters, including the appointment of a Deputy Chief Fire Officer, updates from its Audit and Finance Committee, and the Members' Allowances Scheme. The meeting's agenda also included a report on current correspondence and the minutes from a previous meeting.

Appointment of Deputy Chief Fire Officer

The meeting was scheduled to consider the appointment of Rob Cherrie to the substantive post of Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO). This vacancy arose in January 2026 following the previous post holder's appointment as Chief Fire Officer at Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service. An Appointments Panel had met on 19 January 2026 to approve the salary, job description, and person specification for the role. The vacancy was advertised nationally, and two applications were received. Both candidates participated in an Assessment and Development Centre on 13 February 2026, and subsequently, the final interview was conducted by the Appointments Panel on 19 February 2026. The panel unanimously recommended Rob Cherrie for the position, with the proposed commencement date of 30 March 2026, subject to the Combined Fire Authority's approval.

Members' Allowances Scheme

A report was presented concerning the level of allowances payable to councillors appointed to the Combined Fire Authority (CFA) and sought approval for these allowances from 1 April 2026. The report outlined that the Authority is required to maintain a Members' Allowances Scheme in accordance with The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003¹. These regulations mandate the determination of Basic Allowances, Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs), and travel and subsistence allowances prior to the start of each financial year. The report noted that Durham County Council had reviewed its scheme in October 2025, approving an uplift of 3.6% for basic allowances and SRAs. Darlington Borough Council had a revised scheme approved from 1 April 2024, which includes annual indexation.

The report detailed the current governance arrangements, including full Authority meetings and a supporting committee structure comprising the Audit & Finance Committee, Human Resources Committee, and Performance Committee. It also noted member representation on the Local Pensions Board and the Appointments and Appeals Committee. The Chair, Vice-Chair, Minority Group Spokesperson, and Chairs of the three main committees receive SRAs.

The existing allowances, established in 1996, were detailed, with a total annual amount of £51,623. The report proposed an increase to the basic allowance and SRAs by the September 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of 3.8%, resulting in a proposed total of £53,590 from 1 April 2026. The recommendation was to approve this increase in line with the previously agreed uprating methodology.

Notes of the Audit and Finance Committee

The meeting was scheduled to receive an update on the discussions and recommendations from the Audit and Finance Committee held on 17 February 2026. This included a follow-up on pending matters from the audit completion report for the year ended 31 March 2025, which was provided by Mazars. The committee had also reviewed and approved the Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025. Members were requested to note the report from the committee.

Current Correspondence

A report from the Director of Emergency Response was scheduled to provide an update on current correspondence received from government and other bodies relevant to the Authority. The report was expected to detail the status of each item of correspondence.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes of the meeting held on 17 February 2026 were scheduled for consideration.