Building work set to start on controversial fire station as contractor awarded £4.6m contract

Wirral Fire Station

The construction of a controversial fire station on green belt land in the Wirral is due to start this month after a contractor was appointed to the £4.6m scheme.

Wates Construction is to build Merseyside Fire and Rescue Services’ (MFRS) Saughall Massie Fire Station, a scheme which given the green light last July despite opposition from campaigners who argued it would lead to noise pollution, add to traffic congestion, destroy the greenbelt and affect quality of life for nearby residents.

The campaigners then lobbied Sajid Javid, who at the time was Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, to take the decision to public inquiry but this was rejected.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service put forward “strong operational reasons” for the new station, arguing that as a result of ongoing cuts to its budget, it could no longer afford to crew the two existing stations at Upton and West Kirby.

After an original application was refused in December 2016, amendments to the scheme were made including reducing the site’s overall size by 30%, cutting the length of building by 30ft and removing the access road to the west of the building.

Now, Wates is expected to start on site imminently and will build a single-storey two-bay station with offices, meeting rooms, external drill and training facilities and car parking.

The fire station has been designed by Ryder Architecture and will include features that blend with the local landscape. These include a green sedum roof, soft landscaping and bird and bat boxes to support biodiversity.

Work is scheduled for completion by April 2019.

Chief fire officer for Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, Phil Garrigan, said: “Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service are excited to be working with Wates on our latest station and we really look forward to seeing the architect’s plans come alive.

“After listening carefully to feedback from residents, we have made efforts to ensure that the station design is unobtrusive and will have minimal impact on the environment.

“We are confident that our fire and rescue station in Saughall Massie will attain the same build quality as our Community Fire and Police Station in Prescot – albeit on a slightly smaller scale.”

Tony Shenton, business unit director, Wates Construction North West, said: “ It is of course essential that public sector investment is utilised to benefit local people and we have put the community straight at the heart of our project strategy at Saughall Massie with our commitment to create local training and employment opportunities throughout the project.”

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