Rebuild revealed for eight fire stations

Eight fire stations in will be rebuilt as part of a multi-million pound scheme.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has been allocated £50million of government funding for the project. The eight planned stations are Codsall, Kinver, Rugeley, Chase Terrace, Lichfield, Stone, Burton and Leek.

Outline planning applications have been submitted for all eight of the sites.

The news comes weeks after a similar £46m scheme to build 10 community fire stations in the county – including Cannock and Rising Brook, Stafford – was finalised.

Chief fire officer and chief executive Peter Dartford said: "This is absolutely fantastic news.

"To have secured support for a second multi-million pound rebuilding project from the Government is just unprecedented.

"Our vision to have community fire stations is becoming reality.

"Once these stations are built, more than half of our stations in the county will be modern, state-of-the-art community fire stations.

"The rebuilt stations will all be designed with state-of-the-art operational facilities. Community groups will also be able to use the facilities."

Fire and Rescue Authority vice-chairman Councillor Barrie Mycock said the fund-ing was the largest investment in facilities the service had ever seen. "The £50million investment is at current prices – it actually represents an investment in the region of £150 million by Government over the next 25 years," he added.

"We are one of the only services in the country to be awarded two pots of funding, which is clearly a reflection of the high esteem that this service is held in by the Government.

"However, this has only been made possible by the hard work and effort put in by the staff involved.

"The Fire and Rescue Authority fully endorses this investment programme which will make a huge difference to developing the service's capacity to deliver improved safety and contribute to the well being of our communities into the 21st Century and beyond."