POLICE and fire chiefs in Cheshire have backed plans to join forces by operating out of one base by April 2018.

The collaboration aims to protect frontline emergency services and involves uniting back office and professional services which support Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and Cheshire Constabulary.

It is estimated that the programme will produce combined annual savings of nearly £1.5 million and help to minimise the impacts of the significant financial challenges on frontline services.

The approval in principle was made on Wednesday at separate meetings held by Cheshire Fire Authority and the police and crime commissioner.

Fire authority chairman John Joyce described the programme as 'ambitious and challenging'. 
He said: “Working together like this means we can minimise the impact of the cuts all public services are facing. 

"We will be working closely with staff and trade unions to manage the process of bringing teams together as sensitively as we can between now and April 2018, when it is expected that our back office and the majority of professional services are entirely shared.

“Ultimately there will be more resilient support services with improved career prospects for many employees in a larger organisation.”

Police and crime commissioner John Dwyer added: "Financially the collaboration will enable us to focus public money on those areas where Cheshire residents want it spent – on frontline services, protecting our communities. 

"It will enable us to maintain specialist back office support that separately we could not justify, bringing additional benefits to both organisations.

“Symbolically, bringing both command teams together under one roof at Clemonds Hey will have real benefits for the way both organisations work. 

"We will learn from each other, and more importantly, it will help us to work more closely together, which, as we saw from the Bosley tragedy, is incredibly important.”

The joint headquarters will be based at Clemonds Hey in Winsford which is current base for Cheshire Police.

But despite the proposal, both authorities have confirmed that there will be no merger of frontline services, with each organisation keeping their separate brand, identity and management arrangements.

The total costs of the collaboration and setting up the joint headquarters at Clemonds Hey are estimated at £6.6m but nearly half of the cost could be met if a bid for Government funding proves successful. Annual savings are expected to be at least £1.465m.

While the North West Ambulance Service has been involved in the blue light discussions, its regional structure means talks are focussing on areas such as shared premises rather than joint support teams.

Cheshire Police and Cheshire Fire have been contacted by the Warrington Guardian about potential job threats but has yet to receive a response.