Two new fire stations funded by £50m investment

TWO more fire stations in North Staffordshire will be rebuilt thanks to another £50 million of Government funding.

The private finance initiative cash will allow Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service to replace eight stations across the county, including those in Stone and Leek, with new facilities.

This will mean Staffordshire will receive a total of 18 new community-oriented fire stations, thanks to this award and an earlier PFI allocation of £46 million.

Stations at Newcastle, Kidsgrove, Hanley, Burslem and Uttoxeter were already due to be rebuilt, in addition to a new station at Sandyford.

The latest funding announcement has been welcomed by firefighters and politicians across the county.

Peter Dartford, pictured, Chief Fire Officer for Staffordshire said: "This is absolutely fantastic news. To have secured support for a second multi-million pound rebuilding project from Government is just unprecedented.

"Our vision to have community fire stations is becoming reality, once these stations are built, over half of our stations in the county will be modern, state-of-the-art community fire stations."

The sites to be rebuilt in the second PFI scheme will also include those at Burton, Chase Terrace, Codsall, Kinver, Lichfield, and Rugeley.

Mr Dartford said local groups could use the new stations, which would also be venues for community safety activities.

Fire services across the country were invited to bid for PFI funding out of a total pot of £130 million.

Barrie Mycock, vice-chairman of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Authority, said the amount of funding allocated to Staffordshire was £20 million more than expected.

Mr Mycock said: "The fact that they've nearly doubled the allocation just shows the high esteem in which Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service is held. Out of all the fire services in the country, they are at the top of the tree.

"The innovative things they are doing now, other fire services are only just thinking about doing."

Mr Mycock insisted that the £50 million would spent wisely.

He said: "We would not have received this money if the Government did not think it would be well spent. We want to be the finest fire service in the country, and this will go a long way to making that happen."

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has already granted outline planning permission for the rebuilt station in Springfield Road, Leek.

Stafford Borough Council is expected to approve the outline plans for the station in The Fillybrooks, Stone, in the coming weeks.

Patrick Burke, district councillor for Leek East, said: "About 18 months ago we were visited by the fire chief at Leek who told us that the stations were in need of some modernisation. The one in Springfield Road dates back to the 1970s. So it is very good news it will receive this funding."

Richard Stevens, borough councillor for Stonefield and Christchurch, said: "This is great news for Stone, especially considering that a few years ago there were rumours that our fire station could be downgraded.

"We've only seen an outline planning application so far, but they have said the new station will have a community element."

The £50 million will be paid through a revenue support grant over 25 years.