Fire control centre move delayed

The centre will not open until the end of 2009

Plans to open a regional fire control centre for the East Midlands have been postponed for more than a year.

The new building at Castle Donington will co-ordinate fire services across five counties - Notts, Derbys, Lincs, Leics and Northants.

Contracts for the centre's new computer system have been signed, but officials say it will not open until autumn 2009 instead of early 2008.

Regional fire service staff will be fully transferred there by March 2010.

Job losses

The fire authority said the new timescale is a result of a national IT deal for these centres announced by the government.

Acting Chief Fire Officer Frank Swann said: "The delay is a central government issue - and the movement of our staff in March 2010 is something we will have to work towards in conjunction with the trade union."

Steve Ainley from the Fire Brigades Union said: "The union does not support the centralisation of the fire control - we don't believe it will produce any efficiencies and we believe it will be detrimental to both our members and the public."

He said the FBU's campaign to oppose the centralisation has been ongoing for several years.

Nine new centres will replace the existing 46 control rooms in England.

There will be some job losses associated with the move to the new centre because fewer staff will be needed, but the government has said it hoped to avoid compulsory redundancies.