Builder to deliver third fire station with St Helens contract

The Saughall Massie scheme

Wates Construction has been appointed to build a new fire station in St Helens, becoming the third development delivered on behalf of Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service in four years.

Wates’ appointment to the new £7m building in St Helens closely follows the contractor’s completion of Saughall Massie Fire Station, which was handed over ahead of schedule in March.

The latest project is the third in a line of new community fire stations delivered by Wates on behalf of Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, which also saw the contractor build the new Fire and Police Station in Prescot in 2018.

Work on the new fire station in St Helens is expected to commence this Summer and will see Wates build a three-appliance bay two-storey operational fire station with welfare accommodation, a community meeting room, offices, training facilities and parking.

Wates has made a commitment to invest in extensive community engagement throughout the project, which will include education activities as well as employment and training opportunities for local people.

This commitment builds on Wates’ efforts at Saughall Massie Fire Station where the team delivered more than 500 hours of education engagement activities for local students as well as being joined on site by nine apprentices.

Throughout its construction of Saughall Massie Fire Station, the Wates team provided 341 apprenticeship weeks, 42 training weeks, 24 work placements and delivered 27 community activities for local people.

The team also donated a community defibrillator, which has now been installed permanently on the site of Saughall Massie Fire Station.

Paul Dodsworth, managing director of Wates Construction North, said: “Over the past four years we have worked closely with our client and the local community to create two state-of-the-art facilities that will enhance the high standards delivered by Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service.

“I am extremely proud of the work delivered by the teams on site and our appointment to the new station in St Helens is a huge testament to the quality of their work as well as their continued efforts to positively impact the local community.”

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service’s Chief Fire Officer, Phil Garrigan said: “We are delighted to be moving forward with our plans for a brand new fit-for-purpose fire station in St Helens.

“The new fire station will provide our firefighters with the facilities that they rightly deserve whilst maintaining some of the fastest response times in the country.

“Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service is excited to be working with Wates on our latest station and we look forward to seeing the architect’s plans come alive.”

The three new fire stations have been procured via the North West Construction Hub, which was established in 2009 in response to central government’s drive to improve efficiencies within the public sector.

Wates’ portfolio of projects delivered on behalf of Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service also included Toxteth Fire Fit, which was handed over by Wates in 2013 and is now home to Liverpool’s Super Youth Zone.

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