Kier Northern is set to begin construction of the new £1.6 million fire station in Bury later this month after town hall bosses granted approval.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) bosses welcomed Bury Council's backing of the state-of-the-art firefighting facility and a community hub.

"The council's approval is fantastic news for Bury residents," said Chief Fire Officer Steve McGuirk.

He added: "Our new fire station will combine value for money and excellent facilities for emergency response, while also taking care of the local environment. The community facilities will provide more opportunities for us to interact with the local community and deliver fire safety initiatives."

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GMFRS chiefs have long wanted to spruce up the existing fire service headquarters in Bury but when the town's new police headquarters opened last year and proved a big hit with police staff, GMFRS saw an opportunity to build next to it.

The new single-storey fire station will be able to accommodate three fire engines; sixty-five people will work there on various shifts and there will be 25 parking spaces. It will also have a community room set aside for groups to hold meetings and for staff to give fire prevention lessons to schoolchildren.

The hub will be one of the most environmentally friendly and energy efficient stations in the country, with the ability to recycle rainwater, heat water using solar power and turn off lights in empty rooms.

Kier Northern Director, Colin Quigley, said: "We are absolutely delighted the project has achieved this key milestone on schedule. The project team are now working towards commencing works on site during May."

Building work is expected to finish by the end of the year.

(CD)