Balfour signs deal to build 16 fire stations

Construction and engineering giant Balfour Beatty has agreed the financial terms for the £48m North West Fire & Rescue Services public private partnership project.

The 25-year concession will involve the design, construction, funding and provision of facilities management for 16 community fire stations, of which seven are in Merseyside, five in Cumbria, and four in Lancashire.

The stations will be built on a mix of new and existing sites in a range of locations from rural stations with retained crews, to busy inner-city stations with full-time crews. Construction of five of the fire stations will begin in February 2011, with all construction work to be completed by 2013.

Balfour Beatty will invest £5.5m of equity into the wholly-owned concession.