Blackley Community Fire Station opens in Greater Manchester

The project, which forms part of GMFRS’s ongoing £51m investment into its estate, has introduced modern community facilities and energy-efficient features to most effectively serve the city-region's communities.

Located on Rochdale Road in North Manchester, Blackley is the first of three fire stations currently being built as part of the investment programme. The remaining two stations, Whitefield and Stockport Central, are due for completion around autumn 2026.

Robertson Construction North West took over as main contractor for both the Whitefield and Blackley projects in March, after the previous contractor went into administration, and is now also supporting GMFRS with an upcoming project in Heywood.

The new fire stations include state-of-the-art facilities, and are greener, contributing to Greater Manchester’s ambitions to be carbon neutral by 2038. 

Designed with sustainability at its core, Blackley Community Fire Station includes a green roof to regulate temperature and reduce rainwater run-off, solar panels to generate renewable energy and energy-efficient lighting to lower its carbon footprint. Electric vehicle charging points further support low-emission travel for staff and visitors.

Paul Coyle, Regional Managing Director, Robertson Construction North West, said: “Working closely with GMFRS and project partners, we have delivered a modern, sustainable facility fit for the needs of firefighters and the community it serves. 

“It means a great deal to us to handover the first project that we have delivered for GMFRS. By taking the learnings from this project and applying them to our current and upcoming projects in Whitefield and Heywood respectively, we will continue to deliver efficiently and to the highest quality while making a lasting difference in the communities where we work.”

Kate Green, Deputy Mayor for Safer and Stronger Communities, said:  “It is really great to see the impressive new Blackley Community Fire Station back in operation after this rebuild. The investment in our estate is creating facilities the community can engage with and be proud of.

“Modernising our estate is a key part of our Fire Plan, ensuring it is fit for purpose and meets the needs of our workforce and the public.”

Dave Russel, GMFRS’s Chief Fire Officer, said: “I am proud of all the work that has gone into our estates programme, building an estate that is fit for a modern Greater Manchester.

“This new station in Blackley will provide our firefighters and the communities they serve with a state of the art facility for a constantly improving service.”

Firefighter Carl Gleaves, Blackley Station Manager, said: “It is great to be back in our fire station with some really fantastic improvements made. This new station is a great place for our staff to serve our communities from and a place that our community can truly engage with.”