Fire service £7.6m facility set to be approved

Plans for a multi-million pound training facility for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service are set to be given the go-ahead.

Harborough District Council's planning committee is recommended to approve proposals from the service on Tuesday to redevelop the site of a former Leicestershire County Council highways depot off Gaulby Road in Billesdon.

According to the fire and rescue service, the £7.6m facility would include a multi-storey fire behaviour unit for various training exercises, an animal rescue area and a mock motorway.

Chief fire officer Callum Faint previously said the proposed centre would ensure the service was prepared for as "many different, dynamic fire and rescue scenarios".

The proposed centre would also contain welfare, lecture, and garaging facilities to support the needs of crews, and would allow the existing Billesdon Station, originally built in 1962, to move to the updated site.

A council report said the provision of appropriate training facilities for the fire and rescue service was "vital" and helped ensure the safety of residents.

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