West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is planning to reintroduce charges for fire investigation reports in a move which could net it £140,000 a year.

A meeting of West Yorkshire Fire Authority’s finance and resources committee next week will hear a proposal to charge the public and private organisations, including insurance companies and solicitors, for copies of documents for the first time since 2005.

A report to the meeting said the “current financial constraints placed on public authorities” meant it was a move it needed to consider.

It proposes charging £43.80 for a basic fire report, £118 for a full fire report and £259 for a full fire investigation report.

The document says: “Based on the number of requests received by the authority, the reintroduction of charging could provide additional income of between £30,000 and £140,000 per annum. However, it is highly likely that the number of requests will reduce significantly if charging is introduced and, therefore, estimated income is likely to be towards the lower end of the estimate.”

The service would continue to provide reports to the police free of charge.

The plan is recommended for approval.