The Avon Fire Authority is set to invest in three fire stations, including the one in Bath, following the sale of its old headquarters, with modernisation set to take place over the next five years.
Photo courtesy of Avon Fire & Rescue Service
Bath, Avonmouth and Weston-super-Mare will all see investment over the next five years following condition surveys which found them to be most in need of redevelopment.
The undisclosed sale comes after Avon Fire and Rescue Service moved its headquarters from Temple Back to Portishead, to a joint property with Avon and Somerset Police, last September after more than 40 years.
The investment will be a positive step as the Authority aims to improve Avon Fire and Rescue Service across the region as follows the success of the modernisation of Hicks Gate and Temple Fire stations in recent years.
Cllr Donald Davies, Chair of Avon Fire Authority, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to make a real difference to several stations across our area.
“We are positively investing this money to ensure Avon is safe and the fire service can continually improve and better respond to the needs of the community long into the future”.
The old HQ site was bought by local developer Cubex for a mixed-use scheme which incorporates a 100,000 sq ft Grade A office building, together with over 300 homes.
Gavin Bridge, executive director of Cubex, said: “We plan to bring our strong local knowledge and track record of delivery in Bristol to breathe new life into this site, bring badly-needed new homes, work space and investment into the heart of the city.
Peter Musgrove, Director, Lambert Smith Hampton Bristol added: “We are extremely pleased with the outcome of this significant transaction for the city of Bristol.
“Unsurprisingly we saw a huge volume of interest in the site, given its rarity in terms of location and potential, but a key part of this deal was achieving the balance between the right price and securing the right buyer, and how they would develop this landmark opportunity.”
