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New £11m 'modern and iconic' fire HQ unveiled

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Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service has officially unveiled its new headquarters.

The £11 million building, in Birstall, was opened by Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Jennifer, Lady Gretton, yesterday.

She was joined at the ceremonial event by dignitaries including the High Sheriff of Leicestershire, Sally Bowie, the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Abdul Osman, and Councillor Peter Lewis, chairman of the county council.

The ceremony included a tree planting in honour of firefighter Bob Miller, who was killed in 2002 while searching a disused factory.

Chief fire officer Dave Webb was also there to welcome people to the new headquarters and fire station.

He said: "As technology has developed and the way we work has changed, we recognised that to plan for the future we needed an environmentally-friendly and economically viable building.

"I am very pleased with the results – our new headquarters is a modern, iconic building which I believe will stand the test of time."

The building, beside the A46, in Birstall, will replace the fire authority's former HQ at Glenfield, which has been sold to Leicestershire County Council for about £1 million.

Construction started in 2011 and the site includes an administrative building, community room, gym, rest areas, kitchen, lecture room and training house.

Coun Lewis said: "It was an occasion where everybody was impressed with what they saw, and everyone involved in the project was proud of what they'd built.

"We had a chance to look around and see the facilities.

"It certainly seems a fitting place for the members of the fire service, who do an incredibly demanding job, to work."

The upgrade is part of a £35 million scheme.

As well as the authority's administrative headquarters at Birstall, the site will also include a new fire station.

New stations are also being built at Castle Donington, Melton and Coalville, while refurbishments are taking place at Hinckley.

One aspect which will not feature at the new headquarters is the fire control system – the emergency switchboard for the county's service.

This is based in the fire service's southern station at Meridian.

Firefighter Kev Pearson, who manages all of the fire stations in the north of the county, said: "This new facility and the change in crewing arrangements will enable us to continue providing the first-class service we deliver to the surrounding communities."

New £11m 'modern and iconic' fire HQ unveiled


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