AMBITIOUS plans to create a joint station in Lydney for police and firemen have been revised following initial antipathy to the proposals.

The new pilot scheme, with a similar project at Fairford in the Cotswolds, will see quarters for the police built alongside the fire station on the Bathhurst Road side.

"The plans for the Lydney project recognise the changing dynamics of the area. The new station will build more space for additional officers should that become necessary in the future," said the scheme's coordinator, Chief Insp Keith Lambert.

A spokesman added that they were unable to say whether or not this meant any extra police for the Forest.

Geoff Sallis, Divisional Fire Officer for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said the new proposals for the Lydney site had been made following further consultation with both fire and police staff.

He said both Lydney and Fairford were still in the stages of consultation, although work on the Fairford site is already fairly advanced.

A joint statement on the plan says: "The pilot scheme is part of the Tri-Service Project which aims to improve the coordination and response of the three emergency services by relocating the fire, ambulance and police headquarters to a new site along with a joint control room.

"Under the Government's Best Value scheme, there has been increasing pressure on the emergency services to demonstrate that they are providing a cost-effective emergency service to the public.

"The sharing of premises scheme has been set up to look at areas where savings can be made while still providing a quality of service to the public."