AVON Fire and Rescue Service will be rebuilding their fire station in Bath in order to make a significant step towards modernisation to meet the demands of contemporary firefighting.

AF&RS plans to engage with the community throughout the process to ensure the new Bath Fire Station aligns with the needs of local residents, the broader community, and the requirements of a modern fire and rescue service.

The programme is being overseen and facilitated by a dedicated project team within the service and an appointed contractor, with the planning, heritage and public consultation to take place in 2025 and redevelopment to commence after that.

The plan is for the existing fire station to be demolished and during the rebuild process, Bath firefighters will be serving from a temporary location in the city, committed to delivering the same level of service to their communities.

Bath Fire Station welcomed Bath MP Wera Hobhouse earlier this month. Meeting with chief fire officer Simon Shilton, as well as firefighters and staff members based at the station, Wera Hobhouse was given a tour and shown firsthand the urgent need for renovation.

Patrick Hollins, head of estates at AF&RS, said: “Following approval from Avon Fire Authority earlier this year, we’re pleased to begin work on redeveloping Bath Fire Station. We are still in the early stages of the programme and are working closely with firefighters and staff at Bath to help inform the design proposals of the new building, making sure it supports the needs of modern-day firefighting and enhances service delivery to the area.

“As one of the Service’s oldest fire stations and based in the heart of the city, we understand the importance of having a presence at the same location and value the input of the community. During the consultation, and through regular updates and events, we will keep the community informed of the project’s progress and provide the opportunity for people to share their feedback.”

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Luke Gazzard said: “The new fire station will help ensure we can better serve the local community, accommodate crews and modernise this part of the Service. Adhering to our aim of making our communities safer and our Service stronger, the state-of-the-art facility aims to help improve response, operational efficiency and prevention work which will benefit our staff, as well as the communities we serve.”

Bath Fire Station, located on Bathwick Street in the city, is one of the Service’s oldest fire stations, built in 1938. The station is crewed by wholetime and on-call firefighters, and home to Business Fire Safety Officers and support staff.

The redevelopment of AF&RS’s Avonmouth Fire Station and Bedminster Fire Station was completed in 2022 and 2024 respectively.