Councillors meet next week to discuss fire station mergers project including Saughall Massie
A public meeting of councillors on Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority next week (MFRA’s Wirral Council nominated councillors are Councillor Brian Kenny, Councillor Chris Meaden, Cllr Lesley Rennie and Councillor Jean Stapleton) has as its last agenda item the fire station mergers project.
A report to councillors states that the Prescot fire station will cost a further £145,000 than planned due to “discovery and eradication of Japanese Knotweed; grouting of shallow mining workings; requirement for further boreholes and trial pits due to inaccurately plotted co-ordinates; and the discovery of further asbestos contamination”. A break-in to the site compound over Easter also led to a loss of £2,000 of plant and equipment.
The report states that in St Helens, Pilkington have withdrawn their offer of a two acre site in Canal Street as someone else has offered Pilkington more money than Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, so MFRA have been forced to switch to another Pilkington owned site in the Watson Street works (which may require a further consultation).
A revised planning application for the Saughall Massie site (which is owned by Wirral Council) has been submitted to Wirral Council and the report author had been hoping that it would be decided at the Planning Committee scheduled for the 1st June 2017.
Due to the general election, it looks unlikely that a decision will be made a week before people vote, so Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service have told councillors it will probably go to a Planning Committee meeting to be decided on the 22nd June 2017.
Interestingly, despite an “intention” expressed to councillors in January to appeal the original refusal of planning permission, this has now been changed to an appeal of the decision to the Planning Inspectorate of the revised planning application (should it be refused again).
The public meeting of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority will be held on Thursday 25th May 2017 starting at 1.00 pm in the Liverpool Suite at Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Headquarters, Bridle Rd, Bootle, L30 4YD. Further details on the meeting including an agenda and reports can be read on Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority’s website.
Art Puddister, councillor at large, plans to table a motion next week to build a satellite fire station near Stavanger Drive to meet the growing population and commercial activity in the area.
Just in case any readers are confused by that comment, the comment above refers to a satellite fire station proposal in Canada.