Rob GarrattA plan to transform Dereham fire station into a specialist base ready to respond to major international incidents has come back under the spotlight with a bid to increase the facility's operating hours.Rob Garratt

A plan to transform Dereham fire station into a specialist base ready to respond to major international incidents has come back under the spotlight with a bid to increase the facility's operating hours.

Last November, planners at County Hall gave the green light to a scheme which would see the Norwich Road station turned into a base for the Urban Search and Rescue Team (USAR) - a specialist response unit set up after 9/11 when the government called for more resources to tackle major events, such as terrorist attacks.

A planning report describes the base as an 'essential facility centrally within the county of Norfolk enabling the best access to all parts of the county.'

Now the fire service is asking for planning permission to extend the standard operating hours of the USAR base from five days a week to seven, and extend weekday non-emergency operation from eight to ten hours a day.

At present only on-call, retained fire officers use the base, and the fresh application also seeks to plant new trees to shield the views into nearby properties.

One neighbour has objected to the longer opening hours, but officers at Norfolk County Council have recommended the plans be approved. Councillors, sitting on its Planning Regulatory Committee, yesterday deferred making an immediate decision on the plans and asked officers to report back with more details. The matter is expected to go back before the committee on June 18.