Fire service to move forward with Telford Central plans

Shropshire and Wrekin Fire and rescue Authority will discuss an update on the Telford Central Review Project, which hopes to see the become a facility for both police and fire services in a project that could cost as much as £11million.

However, the proposal - which could be a refurbishment or rebuild on the site - was hit by delays in a bid to look at how it could collaborate with other emergency services, particularly West Mercia Police.

Now, plans would see the two services based at the site, with the police also housing a Learning and Development Centre at the facility. However, delays are still ongoing because the police force has not yet been able to commit to the project.

With costs increasing by as much as 780,000 a year as the project is delayed further, board members will be asked to choose between two different ways forward at a meeting tomorrow.

The first would see the Fire Authority progress with the project in the hope that West Mercia Police will agree to joint-funding the project at a later date, which could leave the service needing to find another partner if the police force doesn't agree to it.

The second would see the authority progress with its preferred option of refurbishment, but modifying the shared facilities it so that the police force could bui.ld on its own Learning and Development Centre at a later date.

In a report, which will go to the authority at a meeting on Wednesday, it said: "There is likely to be significant potential to improve future collaborative working between the two services if both of our training facilities are located together and therefore the Feasibility Study has been updated to include West Mercia Police Learning and Development Centre (L&DC) coming onto the site.

"WMP are also keen to take advantage of the conference facilities, planned for the site, which will enable them to carry out large briefings for their staff during both training and real events."