14/09/10 - Newcastle Fire Station a Step Closer
A launch event was held at the construction site of the £4.5 million state of the art community fire station in Newcastle-under-Lyme today, marking new beginnings for the local community and resident fire fighters in the area.
The station will be crewed 24/7 by fire-fighters working full and part time hours. The two storey building will be constructed by Thomas Vale Construction and will include facilities for use by operational staff as well as a community room and a gym which can be used by both fire-fighters and supervised community groups. The 2,000 sq metre site will include a training yard and car park.
“Paul Clarke, Divisional Director at Thomas Vale Construction said: "We are proud to continue our collaboration with Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service and stakeholders to further improve upon the fire services in the area. This partnership is setting the standard for fire & rescue service provision in the County and across the UK. We will be liaising closely with the local Community throughout the build period to ensure that they are fully informed of the developments and communal facilities which will form an integral part of the scheme."
The PFI project is replacing stations that date from 1937 and are both dated in design and unsuitable for staff development and community engagement.
Newcastle Area Commander, Helen Harrison said: “The existing Newcastle Fire Station is over 45 years old and so a better equipped station in Newcastle is essential to allow us to engage with our local community on a higher level and also assist with the progression of our fire-fighters.
“The new station will not look or feel like a traditional fire station, it has been specifically designed to be inviting to the public and allows for the integration of the community within the fire station.
“We will continue to work as usual from the existing Newcastle Fire Station until the new one is complete, at which time the existing fire station will be demolished.”
The station is one of ten new stations being built under the £50 million private finance initiative (PFI) project. The first new station built was at Rising Brook, Stafford and opened in July 2010. The consortium delivering the project is called Fire Support and construction company, Thomas Vale have been contracted to carry out the build.
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