Inquiry into Bristol 999 calls delays and costs

An inquiry is being launched into changes in the way 999 fire calls are dealt with in Bristol that have been dogged by delays and spiralling costs.

A powerful Parliamentary committee will investigate the Government's plans to axe existing fire control rooms and replace them with regional centres.

Under the FireControl project, first developed in 2004, the existing Avon Fire and Rescue Service base at Lansdown, near Bath, will close and all calls diverted to a new super-centre in Taunton, covering the entire South West.

The widely unpopular move had been due to take place next year but "technical problems with developing the IT system" mean that will not now happen until November 2011.

The Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee will come up with a series of recommendations setting out the changes that it believes need to be made to the plans.

Ministers insist that everyone will benefit under the new nationally-linked regional network, with better protection for the public, and improvements making the difficult job of firefighters more safe and effective, with access to hi-tech equipment.

But the Fire Brigades Union has branded the national project a 'disaster' and called for a review of the plans to replace the 46 existing fire control centres – including the seven in the South West – with one for each of the nine English regions.

A spokesman said: "In 2004, the Government promised a state of the art control system would be in place by 2007 and originally estimated the cost at £100 million.

"The last business case put the project costs at £1.4 billion and rising, there will be no savings and no genuine timetable for completion. Many technology problems remain unresolved."