Gloucestershire gets £40m for new fire stations
The government has confirmed it will provide £40m for four new fire stations and a community centre in Gloucestershire.
Gloucester fire station will be replaced with sites in Cheltenham Road East, Churchdown, and Tuffley.
In Cheltenham, the Keynsham Road base will be demolished and rebuilt and a new station built at Uckington.
The fire service said the stations would enable firefighters to respond to incidents more quickly.
The cash had been in doubt after the government reviewed Private Finance Initiative (PFI) bids as part of the Spending Review.
'Difficult financial times'
Gloucestershire County Council has now received confirmation of the funding.
The life skills centre, which will be used by schoolchildren, organisations and community groups, will be based at Shepherd Road in Tuffley, Gloucester.
Councillor Will Windsor-Clive, the county council's cabinet member for community safety, said: "I appreciate that some people are questioning the investment into new fire stations during these difficult financial times, but the bottom line is that they will better help us serve and protect the people of Gloucestershire and that's our priority."
Construction is due to begin next month at Shepherd Road.