AVON Fire and Rescue Service are exploring the viability of moving to Portishead, sharing Avon and Somerset Constabulary’s headquarters.

Consideration for the idea follows a meeting on Friday, February 5 where members of Avon Fire Authority gave approval for officers to formally explore the option with the police.

AF&RS’s launched its Investing for the Future project in 2014 with the aim of making annual savings of £4.5 million. The plan included proposals to vacate the current Headquarters site at Temple Back, Bristol, due to the costs of maintaining the building. 

In order to maintain an operational base in the city centre a new fire station is being built on part of the land, but three sites were identified as potential locations to house support functions.

Members were asked to give an agreement in principle for a full plan to be worked up on building a new headquarters at Keynsham or Emersons Green, or moving into existing buildings at Police Headquarters.

This decision makes it increasingly likely that both organisations could be under the same roof in Portishead, but requests were made for “desktop” reports to be compiled in the background on the other two options. 

Chairman of Avon Fire Authority, Councillor Peter Abraham, said: “Faced with a further four years of reductions in Government funding, members were under no illusion of the financial challenges this service faces.

“The opportunity to co-locate with the police at Portishead makes sense financially and also allows us to collaborate even more closely with our colleagues in the police.

“Moving to Portishead is our preferred option and we have asked officers to provide a detailed report for our next meeting at which we hope to be able to give final approval.”