NEW community rooms are in the pipeline at fire stations in East Lancashire as part of Prince’s Trust partnerships.

Work is already underway on an extension to Haslingden Fire Station, off Manchester Road, to accommodate a new meeting area.

A Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said the brigade had been approached by the Prince’s Trust in Rossendale and Hyndburn to extend their activities.

This was backed up by figures from Lancashire County Council showing that there were nearly 400 young people in the two boroughs not in education, employment or training. Meetings were staged between the fire service and Accrington and Rossendale College, with the latter agreeing to fund a trust programme in Hyndburn and Rossendale for this academic year. A Lancashire fire spokesman said: “This partnership ensures that our Prince’s Trust delivery programme remains a self-funding part of the service.”

The course began at Hyndburn fire station but the new community room at Haslingden is due for completion in April as a replacement.

Plans are also in place to open another community room at Nelson’s Bradley Road station, as the trust programme relocates from Colne.

The fire service has delivered 270 team programmes to more than 3,500 young people