CONSULTATION over merging two Wirral fire stations has ended, with Merseyside’s chief fire officer warning that changes will have to be made if savings are to be made.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority launched the 12-week consultation in October over proposals to close West Kirby and Upton fire stations and build a new station in a more central location.

Four public meetings were held in Upton, Hoylake and Greasby to allow residents the chance to give their views on the proposals.

More than 500 concerned householders turned up at Greasby Methodist Church for the first meeting.

Close to 300 people had to wait outside as the venue was unable to cope with such numbers.

Feelings ran high as the consultation exercise began into the merger of the two stations into a single unit on Frankby Road in Greasby.

But the original proposals for a new £2.8m fire station in the village were scrapped following public opposition, with the fire authority continuing the consultation by seeking people’s views on the principle of a station merger without nominating a specific site.

A report will now be drawn up and will go before the next meeting of the fire authority on January 29.

Dan Stephens, chief fire officer for Merseyside, said: “The 12-week consultation over proposed changes to fire cover on Wirral has now concluded and I would like to thank everyone who has attended public meetings, completed our questionnaires and engaged with the consultation.

“A report on the consultation will now go to the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority for their consideration.

“I must make it clear, however, that we have to make structural changes in order to deliver the required levels of savings and there is no operational response option that I can recommend which will improve response performance.”

Mr Stephens added: “Over the last four years the authority has had to make savings of £20 million as a result of cuts in our Government grant.

“We are required to make further savings over £6 million in 2015/16 and our expectation is that there will be more grant reductions in the following years.

“We are continuing to make significant savings in support services. We have already reduced the number of firefighters by almost half over the last decade and the number of wholetime crewed fire appliances has reduced from 42 to 28.

“As a result of the savings required for 2015/16 this number will need to reduce to 24, with the remaining four appliances crewed on a wholetime retained basis. We still have the same number of fire stations which is financially unsustainable.”