ON THURSDAY, October 13, the new Community Fire Station in Aberystwyth was officially opened by the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children, Carl Sargeant AM. The state of the art facility, undertaken by Carmarthenshire developers WRW Group, is located on the site of the former fire station on Penparcau Road, Trefechan. The two-storey Community Fire Station was built to a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) Excellent Standard and is the highest performing zero waste building in Wales.
Building work on the new £1.6 million Community Fire Station in Aberystwyth commenced in July 2015 and the station was temporarily relocated to the TA Centre on Park Avenue.
Carl Sargeant said: “I am pleased that the Authority has involved the community in designing, constructing and operating the station. This approach has involved pupils from local schools and students from Aberystwyth University and Coleg Ceredigion as well as providing valuable work to local contractors. Our firefighters undertake difficult and sometimes dangerous work and deserve the best possible facilities and support. This state of the art facility certainly meets those standards. It will also mean firefighters can keep in close touch with the communities they serve and protect. This will help keep local people safe from fires and other hazards.”
Chris Davies, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer, said: “Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is delighted to deliver this brand new facility to the community of Aberystwyth. This innovative Fire Station reflects the evolving role that the Fire and Rescue Service plays in emergency response and community safety work. Incorporating three fire appliance bays, Ceredigion County Command offices, a Blood Bike base and a community cafe, this Fire Station truly is a community resource fit for the 21st century and able to adapt to the challenges of the future. This Fire Station is open to the community and we would encourage all members of the public to pay a visit to our community facilities at the station for fire safety advice.”
Jon Williams, Business Development Director for WRW, said: “Everyone here at WRW is incredibly proud of this project. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and the design team led by Lawray have been unwavering in their ambitions and demands for innovation and excellence in all facets of the project since inception. We have enjoyed bringing our own expertise to the fore to help realise the potential of the scheme.”
The station crew and attending dignitaries were treated to a performance by a joint choir of pupils from Plascrug Community School and Ysgol Gymraeg Aberystwyth.
Winners of an art competition for local primary school pupils were also present as their works are displayed in the new Fire Station. Pupils from Ysgol Llwyn yr Eos, St Padarn’s Catholic Primary School, Ysgol Gymraeg Aberystwyth and Plascrug Community School participated in the competition. The event was hosted by the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) and those in attendance included: MAWWFRS Chief Fire Officer Chris Davies MBA; Deputy Chief Fire Officer Mick Crennell; Assistant Chief Officer Elizabeth Aitken; Assistant Chief Fire Officer Robert Quin; MAWWFRS Authority Chair Janice Dudley; Elin Jones AM; Mark Williams MP; Brendon Sommers, Mayor of Aberystwyth; Miss Bronwen Morgan, Chief Executive, Aberystwyth County Council and Cllr Ellen ap Gwynn, Leader of Ceredigion County Council.
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