Councillors tonight decided to visit the site of the proposed new fire station in Saughall Massie before voting on whether to allow it to be built.
West Kirby fire station is being phased out because of government spending cuts, and Merseyside fire and rescue service wants to close Upton Fire Station too and build a replacement for both in Saughall Massie Road.
The new fire station would give West Kirby and Hoylake better response times than relying on Upton – saving minutes which could save lives in an emergency.
But the site is on the edge of the Green Belt, and Saughall Massie residents are campaigning to block the proposal.
Dozens of them crowded into Wallasey Town Hall tonight for a planning committee meeting at which the fire station plan was up for discussion, with planning officers recommending that it should be given the green light.
But councillors agreed to defer a decision until a visit to the controversial site, which is to take place on Tuesday, December 13. No new date for the decision has yet been set.
Planning chairman Anita Leech said efforts would be made to find a larger venue for the final meeting, ideally closer to Saughall Massie, to allow more of the concerned residents to attend.