Plans for a 'state-of-the-art' new fire station in Stockport have been revealed for the first time. The current station on King Street West in the town centre is to be demolished and rebuilt as part of a 38 million overhaul of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service's estate. (GMFRS)
It follows a U-turn by service bosses who initially wanted to close two stations. Plans to close Stockport fire station on King Street West near the town centre, and Whitehill station in Reddish and merge them into one new station were first unveiled four years ago.
However, the large amount of redevelopment in the borough, particularly in and around the town centre, meant fire service chiefs were unable to find an affordable and suitable new site for the proposed new station.
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And last November, in what was dubbed 'great news' for locals and firefighters, bosses announced they woulld be retaining both sand and spending £6 million on each rebuilding them.
GMFRS has now brought forward details of the Stockport project for which they say they will soon be submitting a planning application and which they are hoping to build 'over the next year.'
They say the proposed two storey-building will 'support crews to carry out their work serving communities across the borough by offering improved, state-of-the-art facilities.'
It also will include eco-friendly heating and lighting systems and an operational room which will also be available use by community groups.
The station will 'uphold the same level of service to local communities in Stockport, and the amount of fire engines and response times to emergencies will also be maintained at current levels' GMFRS say.
A public consultation has been opened where bosses say they want to hear the views of those living in the area about the plans. Leaflets are being delivered to locals and on Tuesday, June 13 a drop-in session will be held at the fire station where people can find out more and speak in person about their views before it closes on Tuesday, June 20.
Blackley fire station in north Manchester and Whitefield station are also part of the first wave of GMFRS' new build programe. The plans for Whitehill have not yet been announced.
Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel said: “This is a chance for residents and businesses in Stockport to tell us their priorities for the future of their community fire station.
"Every day our firefighters go to work right in the heart of the communities that we serve, so we have a responsibility to ensure that those facilities are of the highest quality and support crews to respond rapidly and professionally to a wide variety of incidents.
“We had really positive engagement from local communities in Blackley and Whitefield when we outlined the first phase of fire station rebuilds in our redevelopment programme, and their feedback has helped shape plans in those places.
"I would encourage anyone in Stockport to get involved and tell us what you want to see from this major investment in our capabilities.”
Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester Kate Green said: “People across Greater Manchester deserve the very best service that our firefighters can deliver, and these plans are all about giving them the facilities and the resources to get on with the job of protecting communities in Stockport.
“Our £38m Estates Strategy outlines how we’re investing in new stations to modernise our operations across the city region and deliver additional benefits, like cutting carbon emissions and offering new spaces for community engagement and training."
People can have their say by visiting www.gmconsult.org.
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