Kieran Timmins, Deputy Chief Executive of Merseyside Fire & Rescue Authority, Station Manager Dean Bolton, Chair of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, Cllr Dave Hanratty, Vice Chair Cllr Linda Maloney, Sara Lawton, project manager at Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service for the Toxteth Fire Fit Hub, and Tony Shenton, Business Unit Director for Wates Construction, North West. Photo copyright: Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service
Merseyside fire fighters have moved into their new and unique Toxteth station.
The £5.2 million Toxteth Fire Fit Hub, located on the corner of Windsor Road and Upper Warwick Street combines a traditional fire station with a youth centre open to the public.
The youth centre will offer services including a sports hall, martial arts studio, gym and dance studio and four five-a-side football pitches, which are available to hire seven days a week.
Chair of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor Dave Hanratty said: “This fire station is a fantastic facility for our fire fighters and for the local community. Along with the other facilities on the site this is a great opportunity for the Toxteth communities and the people in the surrounding areas.”
The youth facilities will undergo a trial opening period beginning in March ahead of its official launch later in the year.
Funding for the new Toxteth Fire Fit Hub was secured through the £2.3 million Department for Education myplace initiative, with an additional £2.8 million funding from Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service and £500,000 from Liverpool City Council.
Tony Shenton, Business Unit Director for Wates Construction who helped to build the facility, said: “The Toxteth Fire Fit Hub has been a true example of how regeneration projects can not only make a physical difference to a community, but also bring with it a host of lasting benefits for its people.”
The old station house that has now been replaced, was that the station house that would respond in and around Princess Avenue in the 1960’s?