ST ALBANS MP Kerry Pollard has added his backing to plans to relocate the city's fire station onto school playing fields off London Road.

Mr Pollard toured the fire service's present home in Harpenden Road, St Albans, last week and concluded that moving services south was the only way to drastically improve fire cover throughout the city.

The current distribution of fire services means that while the north of the city is adequately covered by stations in St Albans, Redbourn, Harpenden and Wheathampstead; London Colney is too far to guarantee that it can be reached by firefighters within the stringent time limits imposed by the Home Office.

These limits dictate that crews must reach the scene of a blaze within eight to ten minutes of the initial call-out, an unattainable target for appliances travelling to Frogmore, How Wood and London Colney according to Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue.

Mr Pollard heard details of a raft of radical changes to the county's fire service during a meeting with station commander Ian Markwell last Thursday.

These include siting the new station on playing fields currently belonging to Francis Bacon School in Drakes Drive, with an entrance leading on to London Road.

Mr Markwell explained that the planned station was considerably smaller than the service's present home.

Mr Pollard said: "Having visited the fire station, I can see why a 21st Century fire brigade needs a different building to carry out this vital work.

"The move to a location which will fit in with response time requirements will have the added the added benefit of allowing them to move to more suitable, smaller premises, built to accommodate only three engines and a shift of 13 firefighters on duty at any one time."

However, one resident in Parkway Court a cul de sac backing onto the proposed new site, criticised the MP for failing to look at the implications of the new site.

The resident, who did not wish to be named, said: "Mr Pollard has shown scant regard for St Albans residents. The accommodation block is two storeys high and even if it wasn't we still wouldn't this on our doorstep.

"If he looked into the issue properly he would see that if the council shifted it along to Highfield Park Drive it wouldn't upset the residents and would be even closer to London Colney than the site they're looking at now."

But county council planner Mr Mike Roblin confirmed this week that no final decision on the site had yet been made.

He said: "There were a number of options put forward by residents and we've instructed consultants to look at those and report back.

"We would like to get the application submitted as soon as possible.

"But we will consult with local residents again as part of the process."