Plans to establish a single, shared headquarters for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and Cheshire Constabulary, bringing together most of the back office and professional services which support them, are on track for April 2018.
The new joint headquarters, located at Clemonds Hey in Winsford, is on schedule to open by April 2018 and will be jointly developed to ensure that the look and feel reflects the cultures of combined teams and encourages closer working between individuals and organisations.
There will be no merger of frontline services, with each organisation keeping their separate brand, identity and management arrangements.
Mark Cashin, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service's Deputy Chief Fire Officer, said: "The Blue Light Collaboration programme, which was approved by Cheshire Fire Authority and the Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner in 2015, is ongoing and will still involve a move to a single joint headquarters and the merging of a number of support functions from both organisations.
"Originally, it was also proposed that operational fire training would also move to the new joint headquarters. However, following an in-depth review and costing exercise, the Fire Authority has agreed that training should continue to be delivered from its current location. Also in a bid to ensure that our firefighters get the very best training possible to keep them and our communities safe they also agreed that the current facilities could be significantly enhanced."
While the North West Ambulance Service has been involved in the blue light discussions, its regional structure means talks are focussing on areas such as shared premises rather than joint support teams.
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