GOVERNMENT funding for the building of four new community fire stations and a Life Skills Centre in Gloucestershire has been confirmed.

The government reviewed all Private Finance Initiative (PFI) bids as part of its Spending Review in October and after Gloucestershire learned that its waste PFI bid had fallen through there were doubts over the certainty of the fire cash.

However, the government has now confirmed that it will provide £40m to support the funding of the project.

Fire stations will be built at three new locations; with stations at Cheltenham Road East, Churchdown and Shepherd Road, Tuffley replacing the current Gloucester fire station at Eastern Avenue.

In Cheltenham, a new station will be built at Uckington while the current station in Keynsham Road will be demolished and rebuilt at that location.

The county council says it will cost tax payers £3.8million more over 25 years to build four new community fire stations and a community life skills centre, compared to the costs of demolishing and rebuilding the two old fire stations in Cheltenham and Gloucester, which are no longer fit for purpose.

It would cost £17.7m to demolish, rebuild, maintain and run the existing stations in Cheltenham and Gloucester over the next 25 years.

Due to financial support from Government, the cost to the county’s tax payers to build the four new stations and life skills centre - including repair, maintenance and running costs over the next 25 years - will be £21.5million. The Community Life Skills Centre will be at the Shepherd Road site in Tuffley and will provide a wide range of practical risk scenarios including road, rail, fire, electrical and water safety as well as other dangers in the home, including slips, trips, accidental poisoning and internet safety. It will also focus on teaching young people about social responsibility and respect.

Contracts will be signed with the contractor, Blue 3 over the next couple of weeks. Cheltenham-based Kier Moss Construction is part of the Blue 3 group.

The construction programme will start next month with the Shepherd Road site being the first to get underway.