D-Day for new fire station plans

Plans to redevelop a site in Liverpool to provide a fire station and training and development academy are on track to progress.Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority wants to transform the 12.4 acres former Commercial Hydraulics Site, on 100 Long Lane, into the facility.The site would provide a two-storey four bay fire station with garaging and a two-storey training and development academy.This would include single-storey classroom blocks and associated structures and specialist training facilities, all for fire and search and rescue training purposes.The scheme comprises a number of elements, but its primary function is to be a centre of excellence for the training of firefighters.In the centre of the site would be Training and Development Academy (TDA) together with an array of external training zones to mimic real life scenarios including railway, marine, high rise and an operational fire station. Two existing fire stations (Croxteth and Aintree) are to be re-located to the site with the remainder of the land to be given over for training and development purposes.A recommendation has now been made in an officer’s report, set to be considered by Liverpool City Council’s planning committee, to approve the application subject to a legal agreement.Liverpool planners will meet on Tuesday 3 May.