Lib-Dems slam control centre ‘scandal’

COUNCILLOR Derek Heffernan has hit out at the building of nine regional control centres for the fire service.

The scheme went massively over-budget and eight of the nine centres remain unused.

The Saddleworth councillor, who is Oldham’s representative on the Greater Manchester Fire Authority, will move a motion to council on November 9, condemning the scheme. He argues that the Lib-Dems had expressed concerns about the decision to close 46 local control centres and replace them with nine regional centres back in October, 2005.

He added: “The Lib-Dems moved a motion at the fire authority expressing alarm at the rising costs of the programme and called upon the Government to halt the project pending a public inquiry.”

Supporting him will be Councillor Phil Holley, who added: “It is unbelievable the amount of money which has been wasted on this scheme.

“It is nothing short of a scandal, the last Labour Government spent nearly £500 million on these centres; eight have never opened, never taken a single telephone call and have remained for years as mothballed white elephants.”

The North-West centre at Warrington, is not being used by the region’s fire services and remains empty.