A UNION chief says he is ‘disappointed’ by a proposal to make cuts at the new Penketh Fire Station before it even opens.

The fire station is being built on Widnes Road and is due to open early next year.

As revealed in last week’s Warrington Guardian though, bosses at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service have already earmarked it for £370,000 cuts in its next ‘integrated risk management plan’ for 2017/18.

Andrew Fox-Hewitt, from the Fire Brigades Union, said: “The FBU are concerned and disappointed that the service has proposed to review the duty system at Penketh Fire Station before it has even gone live and when it is not underpinned by a robust analysis of the demand data.

“The local communities were led to believe that this fire station was being built to provide 24/7 guaranteed fire cover by full time crews and that the lack of a guaranteed fire engine at night will impact on both the community and the centre’s resilience to deal with emergency incidents.

“However after discussions with service managers we have an assurance that while a review is proposed, any subsequent decision to change the duty system at Penketh Fire Station would have to be subject to full public consultation in the next integrated risk management plan.”

A spokesman for Cheshire Fire Service said: “What we are planning is to simply review the current crewing arrangements at Penketh Fire Station to ensure that plans continue to be both efficient and cost effective. “Our plans for the future are currently out for consultation and so anyone can share their views on our website at cheshirefire.gov.uk/home/have-your-say-on-our-draft-plans-for-201718.”

The spokesman added the service is not going to change the shift system before the station opens, saying that it is 'just planning to review' it.

Any changes would come following a further consultation next September, with the earliest date for changes to come in set as April 2018.