Fire control centre opening delay

The new fire control room is still under construction

The opening of a regional fire control centre in Somerset to cover the south-west of England has been delayed due to technical problems.

The Taunton control room - which will cover Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Avon, Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall - was to start operating next October.

The Communities and Local Government Department (CLG) said computer and display problems had caused the delays.

No new opening date has been given for the centre to start operating.

When opened, the control centre be able to handle up to 165 calls an hour and one of its walls will feature a giant screen detailing all ongoing incidents and the locations of all crews.

Financial concerns

Mangers of the project said they were glad of the extra time to ensure it all worked correctly.

Julie Burnett of the SW Fire Control Centre said: "The time-span we had left to us was not sufficient.

"We're actually quite pleased that the CLG has listened to us and given us the time we need to make sure the data we use is correct and reassure the public of their safety."

But fire chiefs said they were concerned any delays could cost brigades money because they would have to fund their own individual control rooms in the meantime.

Dorset Chief Fire Officer Darran Gunter said: "Is it now going to produce a saving or is it going to be a cost to Dorset?"

The Fire Brigades Union has also criticised the plans, saying they could result in a loss of local knowledge.

The government said centralised services were more efficient at co-ordinating efforts during large-scale emergencies and big fires, and added a centralised service was cheaper to run and would eventually save millions of pounds.