Littleborough Community Fire Station refurbishment and extension

Date published: 03 April 2023

Work has begun on the fire station in Littleborough to to create a modern community fire station that is fit for the future for both Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) firefighters and the community.

The existing station at Whitelees Road is having a £1.3m upgrade that will see an increase in accommodation for staff members working at the site, with new fitness facilities, a new kitchen and dining area, locker rooms, and improved facilities to support managing contaminants that firefighters may be exposed to at incidents.

Once complete, the building will also have improved community facilities including a refreshed community and training room, which will also be used by GMFRS teams working at the station.

Crews have temporarily relocated to Rochdale Community Fire Station during daytime hours while the building work takes place.

Paul Fearnhead, GMFRS’s Area Manager for Service Delivery North, said: “The extension and refurbishment works at Littleborough will see significant improvements to the station with benefits for both GMFRS and local communities.

“The work is part of our ongoing commitment to investing in our buildings to deliver excellent accommodation and facilities so that we can be a modern, flexible and inclusive service that is fit for the future. This will help us to better support our staff and ensure they are working in the best possible environment to do their jobs well, while helping Greater Manchester achieve its carbon-neutral ambitions.”

Following a tender process towards the end of 2022, HH Smith was appointed as contractor for the build and work began on the Whitelees Road station in January 2023.

The work on the station are due to be completed by the end of August.

The developments in Littleborough form part of GMFRS’s 16-year Estates Improvements Programme, which saw £38m awarded by the former Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester in July 2021 for the first phase of the programme which runs until 2026.

Along with the refurbishments at Littleborough, the first phase of the programme will see brand new stations built in Heywood, Blackley, Whitefield, Stockport (King Street) and Whitehill, and smaller-scale upgrades being made to a number of stations across the city-region as part of a station refresh programme.