Mothballed fire centre may yet be used

WARRINGTON’S £14 million “mothballed” fire control centre could yet be brought into use for the purpose for which it was intended.
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is looking at the business case for taking over the Lingley Mere centre and running it on behalf of the other fire brigades in the region – Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria.
Cllr Ian Marks, leader of Warrington Borough Council, has written to the chief fire officer in support of the initiative.
He said: “I welcome the fact the Cheshire service is looking at the business case for taking over the new centre and running it on behalf of the other services in the region.”
But Cllr Marks (right) made it clear the reason the centre, and eight others across the country, have been standing idle since they were completed nearly two years ago, is down to blunders by the last Labour government.
He said: “The now scrapped regional fire control centres are a typical example of waste from the last Labour Government.
“The Warrington centre was originally supposed to have gone live in 2009 but it has been standing idle for ages, costing the taxpayer £100,000 a month. This is a massive white elephant and Labour should apologise for wasting our money on this project.”
Originally, it was intended to replace 46 local fire control centres across the country with nine new regional centres – including the Warrington centre.
But they were left standing empty because of major problems with their computer systems.
In December, the Coalition government announced it was scrapping the whole project because it was behind schedule, over budget and there were worries about the technical quality of the computer systems.
Cllr Marks said: “Interestingly the Fire Brigades Union had been against the project for over seven years and welcomed the decision to axe the centres.
“I am pleased that the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service had the good sense to invest in the modernisation of its existing control room in Winsford. I understand they have a modern system in line with the technology planned for the regional centres.”
Cllr Marks said Cheshire would only go ahead with a take-over of the Warrington centre if a proper business case could be made for it and it would not involve resurrecting the original, failed scheme.
“It is certainly worth looking at it. The building was purpose-built as a fire control centre and is there, ready and waiting. I don’t know what else it could be used for.”