AddThis SmartLayers

Editors join forces to reverse 'baffling' proposal

The Gloucestershire Echo has joined forces with its sister paper The Citizen to send an open letter to lobby Fire & Rescue Service Minister Nick Raynsford.

Editors Anita Syvret and Ian Mean invited the minister to see for himself the success of having the police, fire and ambulance service under one roof.

Their move came after plans were announced to centralise fire controls for the whole of the south-west in Devon.

The current joint facility, at Quedgeley, received royal approval during a visit by Prince Michael of Kent – just as the Government plans to break it up were being finalised.

The plans would sound the death knell for the £6.3m “TriService centre”, which only opened in March last year.

Echo editor Anita Syvret said if the scheme went ahead it would endanger lives and represent a “grotesque waste of taxpayers’ money”.

In a joint letter with Ian Mean, editor of The Citizen in Gloucester, she called on Mr Raynsford to see the centre for himself before it was too late.

The editors’ letter said: “That such a move is even being considered is baffling given the undoubted success of moving our county’s fire, ambulance and police service under one roof.”

Since the centre opened, firefighters have had to deal with a number of major incidents, including an explosion at a manufacturing company and a blaze that killed two people.

Fears have been raised that valuable time would be lost if the control room was moved to a new site.

Minister Mr Raynsford has written back to the editors to say that location of the new centre would not be a key issue in any decision-making, and Quedgeley may be chosen to host the new super-centre.

Readers are being asked to fill in forms to help the fight to save the TriService HQ.

Back to the campaigns index

Do you have a story about the regional press? Ring 0116 227 3122/3121, or
e-mail [email protected]