Via http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/New-site-improve-response-figure/story-1...

New fire site will improve response figure

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Western Morning News

An additional 13,900 people will be within the 10-minute emergency service response time in West Cornwall, after plans to restructure the fire service in the area were given the go-ahead.

 

Plans to close Camborne and Redruth fire stations and replace them with a new purpose-built headquarters in Tolvaddon were approved by councillors earlier this week.

The new larger base is also being offered as a space to share with ambulance and police services, while a new part-time station at Hayle on Commerical Road was also approved by members of Cornwall Council's planning committee.

The 2.15 hectare Tolvaddon complex is a former industrial site contaminated with arsenic and near the Red River.

The development includes two new buildings and up to 84 parking spaces for staff and public visitors.

Offices, fire control and emergency response and training rooms will also be provided with CCTV monitoring, repair and service bays.

A fire service report considered by planners said Tolvaddon, which is owned by Cornwall Council, was the preferred location where blue light response times met the ten-minute requirement.

It also said the fire cover provided would bring within its response time an additional 13,900 people, and would cover the forecast population increase of 13,000 in the surrounding areas.

Illogan Parish Council had backed the scheme, however there were three objections from residents concerned that the new base would lead to an increase in noise and traffic and would overlook neighbouring properties. Noise from fire engine sirens leaving the station, the report added, would have a limited impact as their use would be between 11pm and 7am, at other times sirens would only be used where traffic levels made them necessary.

The plan for Hayle will see the ambulance service and the police working from shared facilities on Commercial Road, and was approved by 13 votes with one abstention at the West Sub Area Planning Committee meeting in Camborne.

There is currently no Community Fire Station in Hayle, cover for this area is provided by Camborne. Under the new arrangement, 6,500 people in Hayle will now be able to be reached within the ten-minute critical response time.

The £8.4 million plans to reorganise emergency fire cover in west Cornwall were first approved in July 2012.