Plans for new fire and rescue training centre near M5
The plans include a highways depot and care home
There are plans to build a new firefighter training centre, highways depot and care home near junction 10 of the M5 in Gloucestershire.
Shire Hall chiefs are expected to give the green light to allocate £46.7m for the project, which would involve returning 27 acres of Gloucestershire County Council-owned land at a tenanted farm next to the A4019 in Coombe Hill.
The proposal, which will be considered by cabinet today (December 3), would commit the funding to build a new fire and rescue training centre, highways depot, care home and for the enhancement of five satellite fire stations.
The plans involve arranging for the tenant to return 27 acres to the council for the development, leaving 75 acres remaining within the farm tenancy.
Council officers say the site is well positioned to serve the busiest areas of Gloucester and benefits from strong transport links of good accessibility to both the city, town and wider county.
“Its strategic accessibility will be further improved upon completion of the works to J10 of the M5 motorway,” the report reads.
The plans also involve building a residential development which would have 24 homes to be sold off to help fund the overall scheme.
“A capital receipt is anticipated from the disposal for the land for housing development, … it is earmarked to reduce the borrowing costs held by the council for these schemes to be delivered,” the report continues.
Councillor Paul Hodgkinson (LD, Bourton-on-the-Water and Northleach), who is the cabinet member responsible for the fire and rescue service, said he is very supportive of the proposals.
He said it is important for his administration to be investing in the service and the investment is “part of its improvement journey”.
“The fire service currently uses other venues for training but really what we are trying to do is get everything in one place, so that Gloucestershire firefighters can actually go to one bespoke venue for their training” he said.
“It’s a really exciting prospect to have this in place and it is connected to other new initiatives going on at that same location.
“It’s good news for Gloucestershire and the fire service as is the development there with a highways depot and a care home.”