West Yorkshire fire service plans £7.7m for new stations

West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority is planning to use cash from its reserves to build new stations

A fire service plans to spend nearly £8m of its cash reserves on three new fire stations.

A financial report by West Yorkshire Fire Authority reveals new stations are proposed for Keighley, Halifax and Huddersfield.

The authority has earmarked £2.2m for the Keighley station, £2.5m for Halifax and £3m for Huddersfield.

Officials are also considering spending £13m on a new headquarters - but that is not expected for four years.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service says the plans detail a new-build fire station in Keighley in the 2020/21 financial year, followed by a £2.5m new-build fire station in Halifax in 2021/22 and a £3m new-build fire station in Huddersfield in 2022/23.

The service confirmed plans to replace or refurbish Keighley's nearly 55-year-old fire station on Bradford Road last year, but there have been few details since.

Dave Williams, Yorkshire and Humber regional secretary for the Fire Brigades Union, said the new stations were important but did not think there was a need to spend £13m on the HQ.

He said: "I don't mind money being invested in areas that need investment. Keighley really needs £2.2m spending on it.

"It is run down. The same with Halifax and Huddersfield."

He added: "Birkenshaw [headquarters] has some of the better training facilities for fire fighters in the area already, £13m would buy a lot of bricks and mortar."

A West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service spokesman said: "Currently, the buildings on the [headquarters] site are ageing and require excessive maintenance.

"No decision has been taken as to how we may best achieve that as yet."