Delay to fire control room opening

The control centre will open in Ipswich

The opening of a new fire control room has been delayed.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service had hoped to have the site up and running by the end of 2024 but that has now been pushed back until "spring 2025".

It comes after Suffolk County Council ended a partnership with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority for a shared control room.

Steve Wiles, the council's cabinet member for public protection, said: "The slight delay is due to our focus on supporting the rollout of a new mobilising system in Cambridgeshire, which is essential for keeping our operations safe and effective during this transition."

The council said the arrangement, which started in 2011, had worked but some technology issues meant they wanted to create a new advanced facility.

The Cambridgeshire service said it was "surprised and concerned" and would need to find savings of over £1m to balance their budgets.

Jobs have been advertised over the past year for roles in the new control room, Wiles said: "Recruitment for our new control room has gone well, with only two positions left to fill, and we'll be hiring for those soon."

The Suffolk council said an initial capital investment of £1.5m would be required for the project over three years, with an added £1.6m annually needed to run the control room.

Wiles said: "While we don't have a set go-live date yet, we expect to be operational in spring 2025.

"For a project of this size and complexity, this is only a small delay, and we're committed to getting it right."

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority is made up of 17 councillors from both Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council.