Essex fire chiefs are toasting a £22m cash injection to improve services across the county.

Shoebury fire station, off Shoebury Avenue, is set to receive £1m for a major facelift or a move to an alternative site shared with police.

Fire service headquarters in Brentwood is also set to be demolished and replaced with a new control centre and training complex possibly in a more central Essex location.

Plans for a new station at Stansted Airport and replacement stations at Old Harlow and Tillingham will also go ahead thanks to the cash, to be borrowed from businesses as part of the Government's private finance initiative.

Dave Blackett, senior divisional officer of Essex Fire Service operations, said the money will be a massive boost for the county.

He said: "It would take a very long time to get together £22m - this way we can improve facilities effectively within a short space of time.

"We are not necessarily going to move the headquarters out of Brentwood because we have to make sure what we are doing is cost effective.

"The best outcome would be to find a piece of land where we could build a head quarters, training centre and workshop altogether.

"The priorities now will be the four fire stations and a new training centre making sure firefighters are well trained and the people of Essex get the best service possible."

A business plan must now be put together and must demonstrate that the Government's private finance initiative offers the most cost effective way forward for plan.

The work will go out to tender and it should all be completed by 2006.

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