A REGIONAL fire control centre designed to create savings for Merseyside Fire Authority will actually cost £500,000 more every year, it has been revealed.
Fire authority treasurer Kieran Timmins revealed the extra costs to members at a budget meeting this week.
The new Warrington control centre promised to make major savings by combining the centres of Merseyside, Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria and Cheshire.
But the project has been dogged by difficulties, and concerns that those directing emergency vehicles will not have sufficient local knowledge.
There are also fears that some of the 58 staff at Bootle, and the 27 at the Cheshire control room at Winsford, will lose their jobs, as staff numbers across the North West fall from 212 to around 110. Cllr Eddie Clein, leader of the Lib-Dem group on the Fire Authority, said his party had consistently opposed the move.
He added: “We do not want to close our own centre in Kirkdale, it’s impossible for someone regionally to know every road in Merseyside with the local knowledge we have now.
“Now we find out it is delayed another nine months and will cost £500,000 more than our current system.” The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has also claimed that the new centre will open the door for the service’s part-privatisation and has called for a review.
The budget meeting also heard the Fire Authority needs to save £5m this year, which has infuriated FBU leaders who believe Merseyside has already saved enough.
Les Skarratts, Merseyside FBU brigade secretary, said: “Merseyside is top of the cuts league, not something we should be proud of.
Š“The fire authority is now looking at more cuts of £5.3m.
“It is already testing the frontiers of health and safety and significantly reduced the numbers of fire crews.
Š“This latest round of cuts is masochistic and irresponsible.”
Cllr Clein, however, blamed the government for failing to provide enough money for the service.
He said: “They gave us a three- year settlement of 1% last year and just 0.5% this year and next.
“Our National Insurance contributions are going up by £250,000.
“We’re not sure what the firefighters’ settlement will be, but probably around 2%; the fuel bill is up by £1m; and another £500,000 for inflation.
“But the Government won’t give us any more money. It’s an absolute disgrace.”
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