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Greater Manchester opens £2.4 million eco-friendly fire station |
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The new ‘green’ and eco-friendly Ashton-under-Lyne Community Fire Station was officially opened on November 27 by the Executive Leader of Tameside MBC, Councillor Roy Oldham.
The £2.4m station replaces the previous fire station which has occupied the site on Hodgson Street since the 1970s. The new site has been selected specifically to serve the changing geographical nature of the area and is strategically placed to serve the areas of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw and Droylsden, responding to the many and varied incidents that a modern fire and rescue service is required to deal with. It is conveniently located close to Junction 23 of the M60 and with easy access will play an important role in the rescue and treatment of casualties involved in road traffic incidents on this busy stretch of motorway, where required. The new building is the first fire station in the UK specifically designed to be environmentally efficient. It has achieved a ‘very good’ Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) accreditation, which is a measure of the building’s carbon footprint. The station facilities are provided over an 800 sq metre area and include a multifunctional training area with purpose built facilities for confined space and Road Traffic Collision training. The site also boasts a state of the art community room which will be available for partner agencies and community groups to book, and an Outdoor Community Area allowing the fire service to enhance the way the community is engaged.
CFO Barry Dixon said: “We are proud to be the first fire and rescue service in the UK to build a station to receive a BREAAM accreditation. From this new, modern and ecologically friendly station Ashton’s firefighters will continue their strong tradition of protecting the safety of all the residents of Tameside.” Cllr Roy Oldham said: “Having this new facility is good news for the people of Tameside. The fire station’s convenient location next to the M60 motorway ensures that firefighters can respond to emergencies quickly. The fire service has invested a great deal of money in its training facilities; this means that residents and business in the borough are better protected in the event of an incident.”
Project Manager Tim Cheshire said: “The build quality and the way in which this project has developed is a credit to all involved in the team and KIER North West as the main contractor. The success of this project will provide a template for any future fire stations we build.”
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