20 December 2010
Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown today welcomed the news that the Government has cancelled plans for regional fire control centres.
In a statement to the House of Commons Bob Neill MP, Minister at the Department for Communities and Local Government, announced that the project had been halted.
The scheme that was introduced by the previous Labour Government would have replaced the standalone control rooms in England’s Fire and Rescue Services with a national network of nine control centres. The result of this would have seen Gloucester’s Fire Control centre closed and moved to a regional centre in Taunton.
Commenting on the announcement Mr Clifton-Brown said, “I have campaigned consistently and vigorously against these proposals since they were first announced and I am absolutely delighted that this hare brained scheme has been shelved.”
“This project had an initial budget of £120m but has so far cost taxpayers in excess of £420m and, in my view and the Minister’s, it would be unacceptable to spend a penny more.”
“I have visited the TriService centre at Quedgeley before and seen a model of how all three emergency services should work together. I believe the old adage ‘if it ain’t broke’ don’t fix it’ should apply here and I am glad that common sense has prevailed.”
In a statement to the House of Commons Bob Neill MP, Minister at the Department for Communities and Local Government, announced that the project had been halted.
The scheme that was introduced by the previous Labour Government would have replaced the standalone control rooms in England’s Fire and Rescue Services with a national network of nine control centres. The result of this would have seen Gloucester’s Fire Control centre closed and moved to a regional centre in Taunton.
Commenting on the announcement Mr Clifton-Brown said, “I have campaigned consistently and vigorously against these proposals since they were first announced and I am absolutely delighted that this hare brained scheme has been shelved.”
“This project had an initial budget of £120m but has so far cost taxpayers in excess of £420m and, in my view and the Minister’s, it would be unacceptable to spend a penny more.”
“I have visited the TriService centre at Quedgeley before and seen a model of how all three emergency services should work together. I believe the old adage ‘if it ain’t broke’ don’t fix it’ should apply here and I am glad that common sense has prevailed.”
