On Thursday, 9 May, a groundbreaking event was held at Crowthorne Fire Station ahead of a rebuild to become the second tri-service station in the County.
At the groundbreaking, Fire Authority Members visited the fire station, together with a number of other guests and Royal Berkshire’s High Sheriff, Lucy Zeal, the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley, Anthony Stansfeld, as well as a number of members of staff.
Chairman of Royal Berkshire Fire Authority, Councillor Colin Dudley, said: “Crowthorne Fire Station is the next on-call station to benefit from Royal Berkshire Fire Authority’s Capital Investment programme which focuses on how we continue to maintain and renew our buildings, fleet and equipment and ICT. These assets are vital to enable us to effectively deliver our prevention, protection and response service to the people of Royal Berkshire.”
During the evening, guests heard about the plans for the station and what it means for the local community, as well as a flythrough video on what the station will look like. It also provided a chance to meet some of the people responsible in bringing the plans forward, the contractors and architects, as well as the local crew who live and/or work in the village.
Councillor Angus Ross, Lead Member for Strategic Assets and a lead in the project, said: “Once work is complete, Crowthorne Fire Station will become Royal Berkshire’s second tri-service station, with all three blue light services operating from one site. In addition to providing a residence for Thames Valley Police and South Central Ambulance Service, the work will provide a fire engine bay that is slightly larger in order to accommodate an extra vehicle, such as a 4×4, which can provide an additional emergency response to incidents.
“A key priority in the planning of the re-build has been to include facilities for community use. A community room has been designed within the new station, which will be available for use by members of the public or local community groups. In addition, the new station will also provide a compact gym for firefighters to maintain their fitness standard.”
The next steps include placing hoarding around the fire station to ensure that the grounds remains secure and members of public are safe for the duration of the construction. The Capital Projects team and the site manager will keep the community updated on the progress of this exciting build. In addition, updates will be published on the RBFRS website and social media channels.
Once the station is rebuilt, it will provide an enhanced facility that is truly at the heart of the local community. It is anticipated that the work will be complete by summer 2020. Please be aware that this timescale is indicative.