New fire station and training centre for Cambridegshire Fire and Rescue

The new facility is to be located on land adjacent to Percy Road in Huntingdon, giving easy access to the A141, Huntingdon and the surrounding area. The new development replaces the current station on Hartford Road, which is no longer fit for purpose.

Huntingdon based commercial property developer, Artisan (UK) Developments Ltd., have secured planning permission for the new development

The new building represents a major upgrade that will provide CFRS with the essential modern facilities it needs for the vital role it fulfils in delivering a fire and rescue service to the 805,000 people of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for years to come.

The three acre development will combine the requirements of a fire station and its support areas, with overnight accommodation for the firefighters working a nightshift, together with lecture rooms and additional changing facilities along with offices for support staff, including the occupational health team, health and safety team and operational support group. The purpose built training area will enable CFRS to simulate realistic exercises for the fire crews and include a four storey training tower, live fire training containers, as well as areas to support incidents involving water and motor vehicles.

Councillor Kevin Reynolds, chairman of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority said: ‘We are very excited about the new building and the opportunities it will provide us for the future’

‘The project is a significant investment for the Service, and will help us provide effective, reliable and realistic training for all operational firefighters, and will provide much needed capacity to enable the fire service to train more firefighters more often.’

With planning permission already granted, the construction phase is scheduled to commence at the beginning of the second quarter of 2021 with completion expected at the end of the first quarter of 2022. Artisan Development’s Managing Director Michael Eyres said: ‘We have been working with CFRS for some time to help them find a satisfactory solution to their requirements for a new Fire Station and Training facility in Huntingdon. This is a significant infrastructure project for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough that will provide CFRS with a modern facility with sustainability at the heart of the design. This will result in an economical, low maintenance building, which is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. I have no doubt it will also help CFRS in its efforts to reach out to the community by creating an inviting place to visit.’