Suffolk is to have its own dedicated fire control room for the first time in more than 13 years, it has been revealed.

Plans for a new Suffolk-based control room have been announced by the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service which says modernised IT systems will mean "improved public and firefighter safety".

The county has shared a control room with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire and Rescue Service in Huntingdon since October 2011.

But a project to deliver a new IT system which began in 2019 has been "significantly delayed" having run into "technical and financial problems", according to a statement issued by Suffolk County Council.

As a result, the authority has decided to bring the fire control room back to the county by the end of 2024. It says "advancements in technology" enable it to do so.

The decision to move the control room away from Suffolk in the first place was controversial, sparking fears lives could be put at risk.

But it was hoped the move would enable the service to be more cost effective and promote greater cross border co-operation.

Councillor Andrew Reid, cabinet member for fire and public protection, said: “We have enjoyed a successful partnership with Cambridgeshire and it served as a national example of how well sharing resources across counties could work. 

“It is time, however, to bring fire control back into our county and under direct Suffolk leadership.

“We are committed to delivering the most effective and efficient services to our residents, and in this case it is essential that we strive to find and develop a solution which is robust, sustainable and works for Suffolk.”

Jon Lacey, Chief Fire Officer at Suffolk Fire and Rescue, said:

“Following detailed talks with Cambridgeshire the decision has been made to bring fire control back into Suffolk. This decision has not been taken lightly and will take time to implement, however, we are confident it is achievable and the right way forward.

“Clearly a lot of time has gone into our collaborative work to date, so I would like to thank the teams for doing everything they could to make this work.

“Communities in Suffolk will not be impacted by this decision. We remain committed to providing excellent prevention, protection, and response to our residents.”

Proposals for the new control centre are due to go for before Suffolk County Council’s cabinet for approval in September this year.