Fire and rescue crews’ hi-tech station (From Bury Times)

Fire and rescue crews’ hi-tech station

6:00am Thursday 11th March 2010

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BURY fire station is to move across town — next to the new police station, The Bury Times can reveal.

The new building — set to open by the end of summer 2011 — will cost around £2 million and be sited at Chamberhall where the town’s police headquarters is currently being built.

Project bosses say the location has been chosen to reflect structural changes taking place in the town, in light of major Rock development, while bringing the station into the 21st century.

Fire chiefs hope to purchase the land and sign contracts within the next four weeks.

The new fuel-efficient building will serve as the borough’s station command, as well as a training centre and community facility.

There are no plans to reduce the number of firefighters in Bury or the two appliances currently based at The Rock.

It is hoped work will begin at the end of this summer once designs have been approved by the council’s planning committee. The current site on The Rock will become available for development.

Estates project manager, Tim Cheshire, said: “This is a great opportunity for the teams who work in and from the station, not just the firefighters but the volunteers, borough command and visitors. It is very exciting for Bury.”

He said one of the key factors in determining possible sites for the new station was the need for fire crews to be able to meet a target of reaching domestic properties in Bury — where people are reported to be trapped — within seven minutes, with a second pump arriving within nine minutes.

“The current building is fit for purpose but is showing its years and quite a hefty investment would be needed to bring it into 2010,” said Mr Cheshire.

Bury’s original fire station was also based on The Rock, and dated back to at least 1870.

Mr Cheshire reassured people that there will be no disruption to services before and during the move.

Bury Council’s planners will work with the fire service to draw up designs for the station, which aims to meet the standards set out in the BREEAM environmental best practice assessment — meaning the building will use one-third of the energy presently used.

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