PROPOSALS to develop a joint police and fire station in Dursley are being considered by the police and crime commissioner (PCC).

The merger is one of a raft of ideas being considered for better collaboration between the county’s emergency services.

Discussions have been held between the PCC, Martin Surl, and Gloucestershire County Council, which manages the county’s fire service, about the proposal, although they remain at an early stage.

In a report to Gloucestershire’s police and crime panel by the chief executive of the PCC’s office, Paul Trott, a number of ideas for further collaboration between emergency services are put forward.

The potential for a shared police and fire control room and merger of vehicle workshops are also outlined in the report.

Three ideas are put forward in the report in terms of emergency services’ bases across the county, transforming retained fire stations into ‘tri service centres’, providing a ‘tri service centre’ in Cirencester, and developing a joint fire and police station in Dursley.

Mr Trott said that these “would improve visibility and therefore reassurance in rural communities” as well as helping with “joint neighbourhood planning”.

He adds: “Effective sharing of resources will realise both capital and revenue savings benefitting all organisations involved.

“This could support savings requirements for all public services to be reinvested into front-line provision.”

Nigel Moor, cabinet member for fire at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “Following the PCC’s decision to move away from taking over Gloucestershire’s fire service, we’ve had a number of really interesting conversations about how we can work together better.

“The county council and Gloucestershire police already have a strong track record of collaboration, from back office functions, to the shared Tri-Service control centre – but I am excited to see how we can take that further.

“Dursley will be one of a number of areas up for discussion, although things are at a very early stage at present.”

The chief executive’s report was presented to members of the Gloucestershire police and crime panel, which is made up of representatives of the county’s district, city and county councils, at its meeting in Gloucester yesterday.