End of an era as fire station comes down

Almost 71 years to the day of its opening, the walls began to come down on the Wimborne Road fire station.

It is to make way for a new joint headquarters of Poole's police and fire services.

A new station with state-of-the-art facilities will be built at Marshes End, Creekmoor.

The demolition of the historic building is part of a £58 million scheme to upgrade emergency service facilities in Poole and also in Dorchester.

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service's chief fire officer Darran Gunter and police Chief Constable Martin Baker were among the crowd as Poole construction company Morgan Ashurst begun the demolition.

Paul Gale, Morgan Ashurst area director, said the ceremony represented a significant milestone in updating facilities for the town's emergency services.

Chief Fire Officer Gunter said: "This exciting project fully reflects the commitment of both services to being modern, forward-thinking organisations focusing on community safety whilst maintaining operational effectiveness."

A switch of location for the station was first mooted back in the 1970s with suggestions of a move closer to Poole Hospital.

In 1990, there were plans to turn the site into a divisional headquarters for East Dorset, and four years later a move to Cabot Lane was proposed.

Poole fire crews finally moved out of Wimborne Road earlier this month, transferring to the temporary fire station at the Creekmoor Park and Ride site.

They will operate from the site while construction of the new building at Wimborne Road gets under way. The new four-storey HQ will include a glazed atrium and informal rest and dining areas, with an expected completion date of December 2009.

Chief Constable Baker said: "This is an excellent example of the emergency services working even more closely together for the benefit of the public.

"The safety of our communities is of paramount importance to both our organisations and these new facilities will ensure that people in Dorset are even safer."