- Littleborough Community Fire Station reopens following £1.3m refurbishment and extension
- Improvements are part of £38m investment programme across Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service estate
- Mayor, Chief Fire Officer, local representatives and school pupils attend reopening
The £1.3m upgrades to the station include an increase in accommodation for staff members, new fitness facilities, a new kitchen and dining area, improved locker rooms, and state-of-the-art facilities to manage contaminants that firefighters may be exposed to at incidents.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham joined GMFRS Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel and Janet Emsley, Councillor for Littleborough Lakeside, at a ceremony on Monday 6 November to mark the reopening of the station.
Ahead of the reopening, primary school children from Holy Trinity, St Mary’s and Littleborough Community primary schools took part in a competition to create pictures of Littleborough fire station. Pupils representing each school were invited to see the unveiling of the winning pictures.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “It was great to be at Littleborough Community Fire Station for the official re-opening after the refurbishment and to see the brilliant job they’ve done.
“There was a doubt about this fire station, if you go back around 10 years ago, but the community has really rallied round it and it is the very model of a community fire station.
“We’re giving the best facilities to our firefighters and that’s exactly what we should be doing. It’s a tough job, but we’re supporting them with facilities fit for the future so they can go out there and serve their local communities. Everyone in Greater Manchester is backing our firefighters, and that’s great to see.”
Dave Russel, Chief Fire Officer at GMFRS said: “The anticipation for the reopening of Littleborough has been building in recent months, and seeing the reality of this transformation is something I’m immensely proud of.
“The station has been subject to a major overhaul thanks to a big investment in our staff, our facilities, and the local community as well. Littleborough crews have been stationed at Rochdale Community Fire Station whilst the work has been carried out and although they’ve continued their community engagement work in Littleborough, I know they are eager to return to their renewed station.”
The developments in Littleborough form part of GMFRS’s 16-year Estates Improvements Programme, which saw £38m announced by the Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester in July 2021 for the first phase of the programme, which runs until 2026.
Along with the refurbishments at Littleborough, the first phase of the programme will see brand new stations built in Blackley, Whitefield, Heywood, Stockport King Street, and Whitehill. Smaller scale upgrades are also being made to stations across the city-region as part of a station refresh programme.
For further information about the programme, visit: GMFRS website – Estates Improvement Programme
Article Published: 07/11/2023 17:45 PM
