Council to decide on fire station land sale

The cabinet is to meet within the next month to decide whether to sell off a site at Kent Street, near the Barbican theatre, to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to build a new £3.8m station on the one-acre site.

The brigade already had £4.9m plans approved to rebuild the existing fire station at Clifford Street, which has been deemed to be outdated. Senior officials from the Fire Brigades’ Union (FBU) have been highly critical of the proposed move, stressing the decision is being made without an adequate understanding of the city’s needs.

The new proposals would see one of the two appliances currently based at Clifford Street moved to Huntington station, along with the aerial ladder platform with critics claiming only one could be stationed at the new Kent Street site.

Coun James Alexander, the new leader of York Council, said: “The cabinet will be meeting to consider the future of the Kent Street site.

“The council will obviously welcome the additional revenue from the sale but we need to discuss whether this is the best option for York.”

The Kent Street site is currently used for car and coach parking and Coun Alexander said any decision would ensure there is still adequate parking for the Barbican theatre – an issue he raised when in opposition.

York Central Labour MP Hugh Bayley has also raised concerns over the move, meeting North Yorkshire’s Chief Fire Officer, Nigel Hutchinson, in December to discuss the proposals over fears that cover could be reduced.

Mr Hutchinson has maintained that response rates to incidents in under five minutes will actually improve by more than six per cent under the overhaul of the city’s cover.