PROGRESS on a new fire station and fire training centre in North Yorkshire is being monitored by consultant Faithful and Gould.

The new complexes are being built under a private finance initiative.

David Nicholson, senior consultant with Faithful and Gould, in Stockton, said: "This was one of the first batch of private finance initiative deals in the country and was designated as a pathfinder by the Treasury."

The new fire station is required to meet response times in the north of York. It will be a two-bay station with one appliance, manned by eight firefighters.

The new training centre at Easingwold will replace the centre at Ripon, which was becoming outdated and unable to provide training in the latest firefighting techniques. It will be a two-appliance station, manned by 20 trainees on a residential basis throughout the week.

There will be academic training facilities as well as practical facilities including facilities for real fire generation and a smoke house.

Jack Lunn Construction began the work last May, and the new facilities are due to be completed by April.

Faithful & Gould is acting as project coordinator for the fire authority, to monitor progress during construction.

Mr Nicholson said: "We have a wide range of expertise in the private finance initiatives. We have seen many forms of contracts, different approaches to structuring the deal and have developed a good appreciation of what works and what does not."