CONTROVERSIAL plans for a regional fire control centre which unions say is a waste of money and could put the lives of people in North Yorkshire at risk are to come under fresh scrutiny.

The Government wants to set up a new Wakefield facility, merging the control rooms operated by the region’s fire service and their Humberside and South and West Yorkshire counterparts.

But the project has been plagued by delays and spiralling costs, with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) in North Yorkshire claiming it would risk local expertise – and vital seconds when responding to 999 calls – being lost. Now the Department for Communities and Local Government will stage an inquiry in the new year to analyse why the costs of the FiReControl proposals have soared and whether changes should be made.

The new system was designed to be operational in 2007, but IT problems have now put that date back to January 2012. The FBU said the building intended to house the control centre for Yorkshire and the Humber was costing £5,000 a day in rent – with the overall bill expected to top £4.8 million by the time it opens.

“We welcome the inquiry because this has been a major IT disaster,” said a spokesman for the union’s North Yorkshire branch.

“The costs are at least ten times more than the original estimates, it will run at least five years late, there is no idea or confidence in how the new technology will work and it has diverted money away from frontline fire services.”

North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service said it had yet to be asked to submit questions or information to the inquiry.

A Government spokesman said: “FiReControl will dramatically improve the fire and rescue service’s ability to respond effectively to major regional and national emergencies.

“This will improve public and firefighter safety by establishing, for the first time, a nationally-linked network of control centres for handling 999 calls and mobilising resources.”