Ministers Back New Fire Stations
Cumbria's fire and rescue service is one of three to take forward PFI schemes supporting the building of new community fire stations, including two in Carlisle.
The news was announced yesterday by fire minister Jim Fitzpatrick.
The fire services are among five authorities nationwide to benefit from private finance initiative support worth £125 million.
The scheme has provided nearly £325m investment in the fire and rescue service over the past seven years.
Mr Fitzpatrick said: "I am very pleased that fire and res cue authorities are using PFI as a means of providing additional services to their local community. Partnerships like this are delivering much-needed improvements in our local public services.
"The selected projects will help the fire and rescue services in their drive to save more lives through improved response times and by providing better facilities for community fire safety work with local communities."
The Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside scheme will provide 20 new and refurbished fire stations, including two for Carlisle to replace the flood-hit Rickergate station.
Dave Keevil, Cumbria's assistant chief officer responsible for operations, said: "It is good news but it is tempered by the fact the plan is only part completed. It still needs to be debated and agreed by the county council."
He said it was expected that the main station is Carlisle would be built in Eastern Way to provide a fast response to identified risk areas, with a supplementary base with one fire engine bay covering the city centre.
They will be built with private sector funding and the fire service will then pay an annual sum to use them.
Cumbria's fire chief Bernard Dolan said: "We have only had two stations replaced since 1974 out of 38 stations in the county."
Cumbria Fire and Rescue Authority is asking the public for their views on their pro posed risk areas.
The integrated risk management plan can be found on their website at http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/fireservice/irmp/default.asp
Under the PFI scheme, Lancashire is also to have four new stations including in Blackburn and Burnley, and Merseyside will have new stations at Allerton, Kirkdale, Bootle and Netherton.
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