Leicestershire's chief fire officer Dave Webb has confirmed the town is likely to be considered as part of the next planning cycle in about three years.

County councillor Kenneth Bool (Con), who is Rutland's representative on Leicestershire Fire Authority, said: "The idea of a new station at Oakham is one I have debated for the last couple of years and it is an idea that has been accepted as something we should have."

"There are no firm plans but we will certainly be looking at this in the future."

Mr Webb said the present station in South Street would have to be sold to help fund any new building and the credit crunch meant there was little demand for such a site from developers at present.

Coun Bool said Oakham was geographically and strategically in the right place for a new station.

"The closest main fire station is at Leicester so Oakham is a very important station," he said.

The fire service is considering cutting on staffing levels at the station in South Street. Consultation on proposals to rely on retained firefighters either all or part of the time will end on Friday next week.

The proposals are laid out as options in a risk management assessment to help the fire service plan.

Head of community service for the fire service Sean O'Donnell said the current debate over fire cover in Oakham was only the start of the journey where decisions are taken.

Fire Brigades Union spokesman Tom Neal, who works at Oakham fire station, said: "Our primary concern is that the station in its present position is providing a good service and could produce a better service if it was relocated, but relocation and downgrading means a worse service. As we have found in the past, once you have lost a resource you don't often get it back."