Fire service poised to abandon plans for 'hazard village'

Chief Fire Officer Jimmy Campbell said the potential to build a "hazard village" - which would allow fire- fighters to test skills including dealing with terrorist attacks and chemical disasters - required "careful consideration" in the current economic climate.

It is thought that current plans to create a Newbridge training centre will be dropped at a board meeting on Friday in favour of refurbishing the existing training ground.

If given the nod, Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service would spend around 450,000 sprucing up the 30-year-old training centre on McDonald Road, off Leith Walk. Improvements would include a Tarmac ground and a rope rescue facility.

The plans for a new, super training unit were first drawn up in 2005, and Lothian and Borders has so far spent 1.8m on buying land and furthering the development.

But in the latest report Mr Campbell said: "Recognising the challenges presented by the current financial situation . . . the decision on how to move forward requires careful consideration by the board." He added that the most efficient way of tackling the uncertain financial environment was to upgrade the current facility, although it would result in the loss of the "hazard village" concept.

The recommendation comes after the Scottish Government announced a 1.1m funding cut for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service from April 2011. If the eight fire services across Scotland were to merge into one, as has been proposed, a training facility in Midlothian could become redundant.

Mr Campbell, however, did not rule out the possibility of returning to the plans in future.

Director of human resources Alex Clark said: "The board may wish to consider deferring plans for the training centre, particularly in light of proposed structural changes and the financial pressures on public sector budgets. Should that be the case, the board will still be required to provide adequate training facilities which proposals suggest could be put in place at existing fire stations.

"Whilst the new training centre provides the optimum solution for the provision of training facilities, the changing environment means that the original decision from the board to approve plans back in 2008 to build at the Newbridge site must now be reviewed."

Building work on the new centre was due to start in April. The facilities were to include a mock-up of a level crossing and a rubble pile designed to resemble a collapsed building as well as an area to test the service's response to rail accidents and two large four-storey buildings.