Cheshire Police and Cheshire Fire Service look set to share a single headquarters from April 2018, it has emerged.
Police and fire chiefs say the move aims to protect front line emergency services.
It will see most of the back office and professional services which support Cheshire Fire and Cheshire Constabulary based in a shared headquarters at the current police base at Clemonds Hey, Winsford (pictured).
The services say the plan will save £1.5 million a year and help minimise future budget cuts.
The approval in principle was made yesterday (December 9).
But they say there will be no merger of frontline services.
Cheshire Fire Authority Chairman Cllr John Joyce said: “This is an ambitious and challenging programme but it is one which we all believe offers us the best chance of continuing to protect and improve the safety of the communities we serve.
“Working together like this means we can minimise the impact of cuts all public services are facing.
“We will be working closely with staff and trade unions to manage the process of bringing teams together as sensitively as we can between now and April 2018, when it is expected that our back office and the majority of professional services are entirely shared.”
Cheshire Police & Crime Commissioner John Dwyer said: “It’s clear to me this innovative and pioneering partnership will have enormous benefits for both public services, while enabling us to maintain our distinct and celebrated identities and frontline services.
“Financially the collaboration will enable us to focus public money on those areas where Cheshire residents want it spent – on frontline services, protecting our communities.
“Symbolically, bringing both command teams together under one roof at Clemonds Hey will have real benefits for the way both organisations work.
“We will learn from each other, and more importantly, it will help us work more closely together, which as we saw from the Bosley tragedy, is incredibly important.”
The costs of the move are estimated at £6.6 million.
Half of the cost could be met if a bid for Government funding proves successful.
Annual savings are expected to be at least £1.465m.
North West Ambulance Service has also been involved in discussions.
However, its regional structure means talks are focusing on areas such as shared premises rather than joint support teams.
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