Merseyside fire ‘super-station’ set for approval

Merseyside Fire and Rescue’s proposal is for a 53,000 sq ft facility off Long Lane, complete with a four-storey training tower and an academy.

Planning officers with Liverpool City Council have recommended the plans for approval when the planning committee meets on 3 May. The council will also be debating the fate of Everton FC’s Goodison Park legacy project at that meeting.

If Merseyside Fire and Rescue’s proposals are greenlit, Aintree and Croxteth fire stations would close with their crews relocating to the new building.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue is aiming to construct what it calls a ‘super-station’ on more than 12-acres of brownfield off Long Lane in Fazakerley. The site used to be a Commercial Hydraulics facility and has been vacant for more than 18 years.

The station complex would include a four-bay fire station, a training and development building, external training areas and an urban search and rescue garage.

View of the fire station part of the complex. Credit: via planning documents

Part of the training facilities will be a four-storey training tower and a below-ground training tank. The tower would aid in helping crews practice firefighting at height, as well as fire appliance pump training. The training tank would simulate groundwater pumping scenarios.

The external training areas would be broken down into zones, including one that tackled how to combat fires involving hazardous material.

It also seeks to have 190 car parking spaces on the land.

Ryder Architecture designed the complex and submitted the planning application on Merseyside Fire and Rescue’s behalf. Wates is already lined up to build the facility.

Curtins created the drainage strategy for the scheme, while Flinders Chase was the transport consultant. Sol Consulting conducted the acoustic assessment.

The project team also includes Rachel Hacking Ecology and Murray Tree Consulting.

Looking to learn more? The application’s reference number with Liverpool City Council is 21F/3635.

Wates is lined up to build the station complex. Credit: via planning documents