A CONTROVERSIAL new multi-million pound hub to bring a number of emergency services together on one Kidderminster site has been given the green light by Wyre Forest planners.

The council’s planning committee met on Tuesday (March 20) to grant permission for the Wyre Forest Emergency Services Hub, which will be situated on Stourport Road.

It will house Kidderminster, Stourport and Bewdley fire stations as well as the police and other voluntary emergency services.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) unveiled the plans back in 2014 and said pressures to balance the budget were among the driving factors for the project.

They also said the new £5.9million hub will bring a host of benefits including collaborative working opportunities, improved management of a broader range of community risks and excellent training facilities for firefighters.

But the proposals were met with huge protests, most notably from the Fire Brigades Union who argued closing Stourport and Bewdley fire stations and relocating them to Kidderminster would increase response times and put people’s lives at risk.

In 2014, HWFRS successfully secured £2.38million of ring-fenced Government funding for the project and launched two consultation periods, including public meetings in each of the Wyre Forest towns.

Fire chiefs said after consideration of all the responses, they opted to press ahead with the plan and acquired the land – known as Stourpoint 5 – for the new hub.

Chief Fire Officer Nathan Travis said: “We are pleased that planning permission has been approved, which means that we can now progress with the construction phase of the hub.

“As the hub will be shared with some of our key partners, we will be able to seize opportunities for joint training, work more effectively together in areas such as prevention and enforcement, and ultimately make the best use of public resources. “This is great news for residents living in the Wyre Forest as we will be able provide them with the best services possible.”