Building work on Blackburn’s new Community Fire Station in Canterbury street has been officially launched.

The building, just across the road from the present fire station on Byrom Street, is being built as part of a PFI programme which will see 16 fire stations built across Lancashire, Cumbria and Merseyside.

Lancashire’s four new fire stations will be built by Mansell, a Balfour Beatty company, at Blackburn, Chorley, Burnley and Fleetwood.

Lancashire’s Chief Fire Officer, Peter Holland, said: “This is a major boost for Lancashire and for Blackburn.

"PFI is a cost-effective solution to the problem of building much-needed new fire stations when they would simply be unaffordable as capital expenditure projects.

"A bonus is that local jobs and the economy still benefit from the construction work.

“The four new Community Fire Stations, to add to our existing two at Hyndburn and Morecambe, offer tremendous facilities as a base for our fire safety work in those areas.”

“Additionally, the stations will offer training facilities, supporting high levels of professionalism and promoting safe working.”

“In terms of emergency cover, today’s demands on Fire and Rescue Services are more challenging than ever, with a diversity of fire and other risks, volumes of traffic and road networks which were not envisaged when the fire stations in Blackburn, Fleetwood, Burnley and Chorley were built.

"I am confident that these new stations will enable us to keep ahead of the pace of change in those areas to ensure that the first-rate standards of fire and rescue cover we provide there continue to improve.”

Chairman of the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, County Councillor David O’Toole, said: "We expect our firefighters to protect and serve the community to the best of their ability and it is only right that we equip them with the right tools to do the job.

"This is just as true for the fire station in which they are based as it is for the fire engines, breathing apparatus and other essential equipment today’s firefighter must have.”

Balfour Beatty Chief Executive, Ian Tyler, said: “The upgrade of the station will help meet the changing needs and support the modern practices of the fire and rescue service and provide a better environment for working, learning and training.”

VIPs at the launch included representatives from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, Blackburn with Darwen Council, Lancashire Fire Authority and those involved in the construction project.

Station build programme

Blackburn March 2011 – February 2012
Fleetwood March 2011 – June 2012
Burnley February 2012 – June 2013
Chorley June 2012 – May 2013