New West Yorkshire fire station and HQ approved
- Published
Plans to build a new fire station and headquarters for West Yorkshire's fire service have been approved.
Cleckheaton fire station will close with a replacement built as part of a new HQ in Birkenshaw, officials said.
The training centre on Bradford Road will be pulled down to allow the new three-storey complex to be built, Kirklees Council was told.
The Birkenshaw and Cleckheaton sites will be consolidated into a "fit-for-purpose building," a report added.
The building will also be more "operationally and energy efficient," it said.
In 2020, West Yorkshire Fire Authority decided to close the existing Cleckheaton station on Hightown Road as part of an ongoing 10-year programme of reconfiguration.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, fire chiefs said that the move could save £2m.
Critics described it as "a poor decision" and expressed concern the relocation could impact response times.
A report considered by the council's Strategic Planning Committee on Thursday had recommended the scheme for approval.
The plans were passed unanimously.
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- Published26 June 2020