Planning submitted for new fire station

Due to having to make £7m worth of savings by 2020, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue has come up with a series of proposals and cost cutting measures.

One of which is to merge Moortown and Cookridge fire stations in Leeds and replace them with one new purpose built facility.

A planning application has been submitted to Leeds City Council - which owns the earmarked site - for land near the junction of Ring Road Moortown and Black Moor Road.

The two storey building will house a kit room, gym and offices on the ground floor and a kitchen, dining room, six bedrooms and three bathrooms on the first floor.

There will also be space for two fire engines, a 13.8 metre high training tower, training yard, car parking and landscaping.

Local residents have objected on the grounds of noise, light pollution, loss of open space and that the building will be an eye sore and the union has warned that the proposal could lead to an increase in fire related deaths.

Paul Drinkwater, a fire-fighter with 22 years experience and also the chair of the fire brigade’s union West Yorkshire branch has said previously: “If we reduce the provision and increase the length of time to get to incidents, inevitably it will lead to more fire deaths. It can’t do anything else.”

A facebook campaign, Save Moortown Fire Station, has been backed by nearly 1000 people.

Sites at Weetwood Police Station, Boddington Sports Pavilion, Meanwood, Weetwood and Spen Lane and Wira Business Park were ruled out due to being in green belt, too far away or subject to other developments.