Plans for a new “super station” combining existing fire stations at a site in Fazakerley are to be considered by Liverpool Council.
Proposals for a new fire station on a 12-acre site on Long Lane by Merseyside Fire and Rescue (MFRS) will be heard by the local authority next week as part of a strategy to combine existing sites at Aintree and Croxteth. A new two-storey building will be constructed consisting of four appliance bays, incorporating operational and welfare accommodation, offices and training facilities, external drill and training spaces, as well as a four storey training tower.
A training and development academy (TDA) including classrooms, offices, dining space, indoor training facilities and a community meeting room would also be built. A canine training base will be incorporated as part of the proposals according to the application documents.
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On the basis that dogs aren’t kept on the site overnight and would only be brought onto site during normal working hours for the search and rescue training exercises, no objections have been lodged by environmental health. The currently vacant site’s primary function is to be a centre of excellence for the training of firefighters and with a training and development academy and external training zones to mimic real life scenarios including railway, marine, high rise and an operational fire station.
According to the report submitted with the planning application, the land is currently vacant, located on the southern side of Long Lane, to the south-west of the junction with Stopgate Lane. It is adjacent to Taskers Store and is bound by a number of industrial/commercial premises within the Liver Industrial Estate and on Charnock Road.
There would be more than 60 firefighters based at the site all working to a 24-hour shift pattern with 15 on duty during each shift. Around 50 administrative/training staff would also work on site during normal office hours.
The report said MFRS’ aspiration is to grow and enhance their training offer and ultimately become a centre of excellence and national training, which would increase employment opportunities at the site in addition to redeploying more than 40 members of staff currently involved in training delivery at the Croxteth site. An additional 20 firefighter posts would be created at the new station as well as one new support staff role, two part time Prince’s Trust course leaders, one commercial member of staff, one full-time Facilities Management team member and one additional assurance team member for National Resilience.
More than a dozen national resilience staff will also be seconded to the new development from stations across the UK. A public consultation was launched by MFRS into the proposals from July to October last year.
Liverpool Council planning officers have recommended the proposals be approved when the committee meets next Tuesday.
