Shock at cost of 999 plans
MORE than £55million of taxpayers' cash is being spent on
consultants working on plans which will see emergency fire
-
Fire engines cost up to £180,000
calls made in Plymouth handled in Somerset.
The staggering cost, which could have paid for 300 new fire
engines, was revealed to MPs by the Department for Communities
and Local Government.
Nationally, the controversial project will see 46 existing
fire control centres replaced with one centre for each of nine
English regions. Devon's dedicated control room will close and
move to a regional headquarters in Taunton.
It has been admitted that the extra work involved in setting
up the regional centre is set to cost more than £8 million, and
now MPs have been told that as of the end of June, £38.5million
had so far been spent on consultants for the scheme nationally,
with a further £16.9million due to be spent on "advice".
The estimated cost of a fire engine is about £180,000, which
means an extra 308 appliances could have been bought for the
same amount – and union leaders say the sum is enough to run a
large metropolitan fire brigade for a year.
Continuing concerns have been raised at Westminster over the
regionalisation plans, with a cross-party group of MPs voicing
concerned that the new centres will be able to handle fewer
calls at peak times than existing control rooms.
The costs have been defended by the Government, which says
it is meeting all the set-up costs of the project, and insists
the new nationally-linked regional network will offer better
protection for the public and make firefighters' jobs safer and
more effective. It says the new centres will be able to track
appliances and immediately identify the location of a
caller.
Fire engines will be fitted with computers that can show
building floor plans and maps.
12 Comments
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by Rhetorician, Plymouth
Wednesday, August 20 2008, 7:40AM
“£38.8 MILLION ON CONSULTANTS!!! WITH A FURTHER £16.9 JUST ON ADVICE? There is surely some crime commited here this is a complete waste or embezlement of public money and without a brick being laid. Police should be called in to investigate.”
by brian, in my sitting room
Tuesday, August 19 2008, 9:10PM
“I thought the government were short of cash cuts cuts and more cuts maybe I missread some news”
by Dee, Cornwall
Tuesday, August 19 2008, 8:35PM
“Who are you calling a janner Molly?”
by Angela, plymouth
Tuesday, August 19 2008, 6:49PM
“It didn't do the Police Service any good did it. You try getting through to the number let alone the station you require its a nightmare. Keep it local!!”
by Molly, Sutton
Tuesday, August 19 2008, 6:40PM
“A better equipped central control and communications unit with the extra expertise and the savings has to be a good thing. The powerful IT data back up means there can be no confusion as the site of the incident even if the call is from a janner.”
by Molly, Sutton
Tuesday, August 19 2008, 6:40PM
“A better equipped central control and communications unit with the extra expertise and the savings has to be a good thing. The powerful IT data back up means there can be no confusion as the site of the incident even if the call is from a janner.”
by Mary, Plympton
Tuesday, August 19 2008, 4:36PM
“My reaction to this story was not shock but outrage.The authorities will justify this by saying these consultants are independent when we all know in advance that they will support the proposal . Why would they offend their paymasters. Common sense would say , ask the firemen on the front line and they would give their opinion for nothing. I am the last person who would support Margaret Thatcher but at she had the sense to get rid of all these expensive consultants and quango's.”
by linda, Torpoint
Tuesday, August 19 2008, 2:33PM
“24-7, You are exactly right, and Dave has a point, it could have been India, suppose we should be grateful that we still get to speak to people who can understand what we are saying”
by dave, plymouth
Tuesday, August 19 2008, 2:19PM
“Im surprised that they are only considering moving to Somerset and not to India. On the other hand I would love to hear how much money has been spent within Plymouth City Council on consultants ??”
by 24-7, Plymouth
Tuesday, August 19 2008, 1:45PM
“This is an obvious attempt at cost saving. But, how many years will it take just to recoup the 55 million? By the time that money has been saved, it will be time to knock the building down and build another. Apart from the obvious safety issues of loosing local knowledge. It is indicitive of this Labour management society that Bosses don't like to loose face and go back on crap decisions, it will therefore be pushed through and made to look like it works, evidenced by a bundle of useless statistics manipulated by some boffin with a pack of crayons.”