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The North West Fire & Rescue Services PFI Project


Information Sheet



Introduction
Working in collaboration, the Fire and Rescue Services of Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria have created a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) Project to construct 16 new Community Fire Stations in the North West of England. The Project is progressing through the PFI process and has now gained approval from each of the three Authorities, the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) and H.M. Treasury’s Project Review Group to announce Balfour Beatty Fire and Rescue as the Selected Bidder that will design, build finance and operate all 16 stations.

Background
This Project will provide new community-orientated facilities and in a number of cases, will deliver improved response times by replacing aging, inappropriate and/or poorly located facilities.

Scope
The Project scope includes the design, construction, funding and facilities management for sixteen community fire stations including an Operational Resource Centre (ORC - garaging centre for strategic appliances and equipment) and a joint fire & ambulance station The facilities to be provided range in size from single appliance fire stations to multi-appliance stations with additional garaging for special equipment. Some of the sites include training facilities and additional office space. The fire stations are to be constructed on a mixture of new and existing sites, in some cases involving demolition and phased working around operational units or other emergency service facilities. At other sites, complete decant arrangements will be required during the building phase.

Financial Value
The capital value of the scheme is currently estimated to be £47m (2010 value) with additional lifecycle and associated service costs, including facilities management. .

Project Objectives
The main objectives of this project are:

• To improve fire station design and location in relation to current and future risk response
• To widen community access to fire stations
• To create well designed facilities to a high architectural standard
• To provide a safe and healthy environment and improved facilities for firefighters and other personnel

Locations
The proposed Community Fire Stations are located as follows:

Cumbria: Carlisle East, Carlisle West, Patterdale, Penrith (including Emergency Planning Unit and County Council Emergency Control) & Workington  
Lancashire: Blackburn, Burnley, Chorley & Fleetwood (with Optimum Crewing System accommodation)
Merseyside: Belle Vale, Birkenhead, Bootle/Netherton, Formby, Kirkdale (including ORC), Newton-le-Willows & Southport (shared facilities with the Ambulance Service)

The sites range from rural locations with retained crews to busy inner-city locations with full-time crews. One site is within the Lake District National Park. There is a large geographical spread with sites from Carlisle in the north to Birkenhead in the south of the region.

Project Management Team
An Executive Board has been established with representation from each Fire and Rescue Authority at Principal Officer level. The Project Manager (nominated from within Merseyside F&RA) reports to the Executive Board on progress and matters where Board approval is required. Each Authority in turn then has a lead officer responsible for co-ordination of their input to the Project. Along with both external and internal legal, financial and technical advisors, these personnel make up the Project Team.

Outline Business Case
The Outline Business Case (OBC) for the Project  received approval from CLG in August 2008. A copy of the OBC can be obtained by clicking on this link. [PDF format]

Procurement Process and Provisional Timetable
A formal notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) was issued in August 2008. Following this the Project followed the Competitive Dialogue process in line with other PFI projects to determine the Selected Bidder. After evaluation of bids, Balfour Beatty Fire & Rescue were recommended as Selected Bidder and this decision was approved by the three Authorities, CLG and HM Treasury in March 2010. Detailed planning applications are due to be submitted in April/May 2010 with Financial Close anticipated for October 2010. Work on site in due to commence in November 2010, reaching final completion in March 2013.

Payment Mechanism
In accordance with the principles of PFI, services will be procured through an Output Specification describing the room sizes, functions and required facilities. Balfour Beatty Fire & Rescue will be paid on a monthly basis from the acceptance of the facility as ready for use until the end of the term of agreement (25 years from handover of the last fire station to be completed). Balfour Beatty Workplace will operate the Facilities Management of the stations.

Contact Details 
For further information please contact the Project Manager, Colin Schofield at Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Headquarters, Bridle Road, Bootle, Merseyside L30 4YD

Email: colinschofield@merseyfire.gov.uk (Project Manager)
Telephone: 0151 296 4203

Email: lorraineclarke@merseyfire.gov.uk (Project Co-ordinator)
Telephone: 0151 296 4231

Balfour Beatty Commercial Enquiries contact: Keith France (Cost Planning, Mansell)
Email: kfrance@mansell.plc.uk

 

 

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