Staffordshire fire service: 11 new stations by 2016

Eleven new community fire stations will open across Staffordshire, beginning in Chase Terrace

Eleven new community fire stations will be built across Staffordshire over the next two years.

Chase Terrace, Longton, Kinver, Rugeley and Stone will be the first areas to see the new stations, which are replacing existing buildings in their current locations.

Penkridge, Codsall, Leek, Burton and Lichfield will follow, with all work expected to be completed by 2016.

An existing station on Church Road in Ashley will relocate to Market Drayton.

Funding for the scheme costs £45m, which comes from the government's Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

The existing buildings are all around 40 years old, and in need of modernising, said Staffordshire's Chief Fire Officer, Peter Dartford.

"The new stations will all be equipped with more modern operational facilities and have space for more community safety activities such as student firefighter courses," Mr Dartford added.

Work on the first station, Chase Terrace, begins on Monday, and is scheduled for completion in late summer 2014.

Lichfield will be the final station, with work there expected to be completed by late spring 2016.