A REPORT has been published which looked into whether Stroud fire station could be shared with the police.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service commissioned a feasibility study into whether six fire stations could be used by the police on a co-working basis including Stroud.

The others were Dursley, Cirencester, Stow, Newent and Winchcombe.

Of these Dursley and Newent were found to be viable locations while Stroud was rejected and Winchcombe was still being assessed.

The report into Stroud said: "Whilst a large station, this offers limited space for police. Stroud is currently used as the county’s stand-by emergency control. The station is not front-facing for passing footfall and community engagement."

Fire, community safety and libraries member Dave Norman (C, Grange and Kingsway) said he was fully supportive of more collaboration with other emergency services at sites which were found to be viable..

He said: “We’ve always wanted to work collaboratively with the constabulary and under the 2017 Act there is a duty to cooperate which the previous police and crime commissioner would not do.

“But thankfully we are now in a situation where we have a police and crime commissioner who is looking as collaboratively as he can.

“Clearly, if the fire and rescue service has facilities that it can make available for the residents in those towns where there is a possible collaborative approach to community engagement with blue light services I’m 100% behind it.

“Having served for 30 years as an on-call firefighter myself across the country and where I experienced in the past successful blue light collaboration in premises were made available.”

Fire and rescue scrutiny committee chairman Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingshom and Wotton) welcomed the proposals.

He said: “If they were to share the facilities it would be the responsibility of the police authority for paying for the additional accommodation and there would be an annual rent toward the cost of the facilities.

“The proposals would not be at any additional cost to Gloucestershire County Council. It helps with the cooperative working between the emergency services if they can base themselves together.”

The report for Dursley said: "This station was considered by police to be a viable option. The station is within a very short distance of the existing police station."