'Spiralling costs' cost lead to higher council tax, say the FBU

The Fire Brigades Union says government plans to build nine new centres to replace the current 46 could lead to costs spiralling out of control.

It was "incompetent" of ministers to sign up to the plans before the full costs were known, it said.

But a government spokesman accused the FBU of "scaremongering".

'Compelling need'

The nine new centres are expected to be operational by 2009 after the government said there was a "compelling" need to modernise and rationalise control rooms.

Seven of the new sites were announced on 10 August. They are in Durham, Warrington, Cambridge, Leicestershire, Wolverhampton, Wakefield and Taunton.

A site in the South East is still to be confirmed, while one has already been set up in London.

About 380 jobs are expected to be axed - but the government has said it hopes there will be no compulsory redundancies. The new centres are expected to save about �20m a year.

'Irresponsible government'

The FBU claims ministers have conceded that the full cost of the project could rise to �2bn, which would threaten jobs and lead to higher council taxes.

General secretary Matt Wrack said: "It is irresponsible of the government to fail to accept they made a mistake and think again, because �2bn is more than the �1.7bn annual budget of the entire fire service.

Their totally unfounded allegations betray a complete lack of understanding of the government's plans for control centres Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

"A vast amount of money desperately needed for frontline services will be diverted to a technology project which won't save a singe life.

"We need an independent assessment of these plans before they are allowed to proceed any further."

A spokesman for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said: "It is regrettable that the FBU are continuing to scaremonger.

"Their totally unfounded allegations betray a complete lack of understanding of the government's plans for control centres.