Focus on Shipley in site hunt for new merged fire station

Early speculation was that the target zone for a new base to merge the existing Shipley and Idle fire stations was the Canal Road area of Bradford, but a report to West Yorkshire Fire Authority today confirms that area has now been dismissed after fears over response times.

The Leeds Road and Briggate area has been deemed an “acceptable compromise”, it says.

However, a lack of available land in the area means a suitable site has yet to be found.

The document also reveals the new station would have 24 fewer full-time firefighters than there are currently between the two stations, which would lead to savings of £888,000.

Coun Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) said she remains opposed to the idea of merging the two areas, but hoped a suitable site would be identified soon.

“Clearly we are concerned about the level of service this station will provide,” she said.

“I believe the merger is the wrong thing to do and I’m not convinced that Briggate will be the right location for a fire service that covers the high-rise flats in Thorpe Edge.”

Plans for the new fire station were approved by fire chiefs as part of the authority’s Integrated Risk Management Plan, which has seen a raft of changes to fire cover in the region, including the mergers of fire stations and a reduction in the number of appliances in some areas.

It is hoped the new merged site, which would see a new single appliance retaining the current wholetime duty system, will open in 2018.

Meanwhile, talks are continuing over the future of Haworth fire station, which was been given a stay of execution after being threatened with closure.

In December 2012, the closure date was put back until December 2014 for further examination of plans for a volunteer-run facility at the station.

The report says: “If successful, the fire station could, subject to authority approval, become the base for a volunteer community safety and response service.”