Concerns at planned sale of fire service's HQ

Concerns have been raised about plans to sell a fire service's headquarters and the possibility of outsourcing its firefighters' training and development.

Newcastle-under-Lyme MP Adam Jogee has written to Staffordshire's Police, Crime and Fire Commissioner Ben Adams about the future of its Pirehill site near Stone.

Adams told BBC Radio Stoke he was in the early stages of drawing up options for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, and some of the ideas being discussed might not end up being acted upon.

He wanted to establish a secure future for the service, he said, in preparation for when his role is abolished as part of local government reorganisation.

Selling the site for housing or commercial use could release money to build a new, modern facility elsewhere in Staffordshire, Adams said.

There were also existing plans for a significant amount of new development in the nearby area, he said, which could affect the site's operation over the coming years.

He added: "Do we need a fire headquarters and a training centre in the midst of a building site? Will that limit access to the site?"

According to Jogee, the facility was vital for the coordination and operational support of firefighters in Staffordshire.

"I'm less bothered about the ongoing search for efficiencies and more bothered about keeping our communities safe," he said.

"I have heard from local people in Newcastle-under-Lyme who have expressed fears that these proposals could lead to job losses, diminish specialist expertise and further undermine morale."

The MP said he was worried about the effects of outsourcing training on the safety of firefighters carrying out their duties, calling the idea "particularly concerning".

"This is not a back-office support service that can simply be contracted out without consequence," he added.

Adams said his role would cease to exist in about two years' time, and he wanted to provide a range of "practical options" for the decision-makers who succeed him.

Officials were still yet to finalise what shape a future organisation overseeing the fire service would look like, he said.

There would be a consultation process before any of the changes being considered happened, Adams said, adding he hoped to have settled on a decision about which options to recommend by the end of the year.

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