Work due to start on new fire station

An artist's impression of the new fire station

Building work on Rochdale’s new community fire station is due to start next month.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) has been granted planning permission to create a £1.6million development on Halifax Road.

The new fire station, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2012, will replace the town’s existing facilities at Maclure Road.

Work is now underway to prepare the site for Kier Northern - the appointed building contractor for the project - to start construction work in March.

The fire service says that the new station has been strategically located to enable fire-fighters to continue to respond to incidents effectively and carry out vital work in the community.

Project manager Tim Cheshire, GMFRS Estates Manager, said: "To update and refurbish the existing premises would have required substantial investment. Therefore Greater Manchester Fire Authority decided to build a new community fire station which represents an investment of more than £1.6 million in Rochdale and gives us the opportunity to design a fire station that meets the needs of the community .

"We are thrilled that work is soon to begin on the new station which will become an important part of the local community."

Facilities will include office accommodation, training facilities, drill tower, three-vehicle appliance bay, car parking, storage areas and gardens. 

Brand new community facilities will include a mobile Caged Soccer facility, an internet café with guest WiFi, a quiet room, and a room for use by community partners, groups and education providers.

The station has been designed to be environmentally friendly and will be built to achieve an excellent Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) accreditation - a measure of a building's carbon footprint and positive impact upon the environment.

Initiatives such as energy efficient heating systems, rainwater recycling systems to flush toilets and solar collectors to provide hot water for showers and washing, are being used to save thousands of pounds each year.

The Maclure Road facility will close as soon as the new station is ready for GMFRS staff to move in and the site will be sold.