DETAILED plans for Dursley's new fire station were unveiled for the first time this week.

Gloucestershire Council Council's application shows parking bays for three fire appliances rather than the two that are at the existing Castle Street station.

All the fire-fighters accommodation and training needs have been incorporated within the new facility, including a lecture room and gymnasium.

The fire station, which will be located at the junction of Kingshill Road and Kingshill Lane, was given outline planning permission in 1999 and has to be constructed before regeneration work, which includes building a new supermarket, can begin at the existing site.

Members of Dursley Town Council's Planning and Town Improvements Committee discussed the county council's application on Tuesday and voted not to make any objections.

Referring to the detailed plans Cllr Jane Ball commented: "It is about time - it has been six years."

Cllr David Butterfield said: "I think being an entirely functional thing it is going to go ahead anyway. We are not going to get the aesthetic monstrosity that we are going to get with the library.

"I cannot see any objections to this and I don't object to it at all."

Cllr Anne-Marie Rutter said: "We all know it has been coming for a long time. The building looks no more dreadful than we imagined it to be."

Cllr Ball added: "It is great that it will have three bays because we will get a different appliance such as one that can deal with RTAs instead of it coming from Gloucester or Stroud."

Last week Dursley station officer Graham Ponting said the new station was a wonderful opportunity which would meet the needs of the town for the next 25 years.

The report which accompanied the application said due to the long term development of the Lister Petter and Bymacks site the road junction would need to be widened and controlled by traffic lights. The station would have an override control to ensure fire engines had immediate access onto Kingshill Road. Staff and visitors will access the station from Kingshill Lane.

BLOB A decision on who will build the supermarket is expected by the end of this month.