According to papers before a Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) board meeting, Marionville Fire Station is no longer recommended for closure in the immediate term.
However, the papers do not rule out a change to fire service delivery in the area in the future.
The station had been earmarked for closure in a Scotland-wide assessment of fire fighting resources across the country due to RAAC being identified in the structure.
But after a consultation and a period of review, the team behind the assessment is now no longer recommending the station be eliminated.
A significant public campaign to save the fire station was launched when the proposed closure was raised last year.
Concerns included increased response times in the area that would result from the closure, as well as the changing make-up of the area.
In a report going before a board meeting on Monday, staff behind the assessment wrote that points raised in the consultation had resulted in the change in recommendation.
These included ‘alternative station sites’ and condition reports.
The report added that further detailed analysis and modelling of potential station sites in the Edinburgh area would be undertaken.
The authors of the report wrote: It is appropriate not to proceed with the Edinburgh component whilst additional work is carried out and pertinent information obtained.”
In the original plan, the fire appliance at Marionville would have been moved to the station at Newcraighall.
In a ‘case for change’ report behind the original closure plan, staff wrote that repairing the RAAC present and upgrading the building was not feasible due to its small size.
In addition, they stated that building a new station on the site would be ‘challenging and expensive’ due to the small size and narrow character of the plot of land it stands on.
That report added that there had been ‘significant changes’ to fire risk and demand, as well as fire service coverage in the area, since the station was constructed.
In addition, it stated that the provision of one full time pump truck at Marionville, and two at McDonald Road did not provide an efficient distribution of resources for the east of the city.
This was due to the stations being located ‘too close’ to one another.
The SFRS board will make a decision on the recommendations by staff running the assessment at the meeting.
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
