Patchway Fire Station looks set to close by 2018, as part of major organisational shake-up announced by Avon Fire & Rescue.
The Patchway station, on the corner of Durban Road and Rodway Road, will be replaced by a new station that will be built “somewhere on the site of the former Filton Airfield”.
Southmead Fire Station will also close within the same timeframe, with the resources of both stations being amalgamated at the new site.
The Journal understands that the favoured location for the new station is close to the A38, at the eastern end of the former runway.
A document entitled ‘Investing for the Future’ explains the reasons for the reorganisation across the force’s operational area:
“Since 2010 Avon Fire & Rescue Service has made a total of £11m of savings and efficiencies. This has been achieved with no impact on the frontline service we provide.”
“Over the next few years we expect the money we receive from the Government to continue to fall, which means £4.5 million of further annual savings will need to be found on top of previous savings.”
“Making savings is never easy, particularly as we know how much you value the services we provide. We’ve been careful to make sure the plans we’ve made allow us to reduce running costs while maintaining the excellent service people expect.”
In relation to the merging of the Patchway and Southmead stations, another document published by the service, its Integrated Risk Management Plan, explains that the move will “save money from a reduction in the staff required and building overheads” and “match the demand for our services generated by the large scale development of residential housing on the former Filton Airfield site”.
Other changes also announced include the closure of Keynsham and Brislington fire stations and the amalgamation of their resources at a new strategically located fire station on the Avon Ring Road in Kingswood.
The fire service claims the changes will have no impact on operational response standards or the budget available to spend on vehicles and equipment.
Read more: Avon Fire & Rescue Service to build new fire stations under ‘Investing for the Future’ programme
The fire station isn’t a lot of use now anyway because the appliances can’t get through half the roads on Patchway Estate due to inconsiderate parking:
childhood memories of growing up in filton and hearing the siren sounding to call the men in for a fire shout.
Always got a comment from those around
The fire station isn’t a lot of use anyway ?? Tell that to the people it helps on a daily basis… clearly house fires, car fires and rtc’s don’t happen in Patchway! !!
We new this was going to happen many years ago it’s a shame but sometimes it can’t be helped,but it isn’t going to far away for the people around here if they need to use it
My first comment was admittedly tongue in cheek.
However, the reality is that anyone living on the original ‘Patchway Estate’ already suffers due to the pig-headed and lazy way that some people park in the narrow roads. A large number of people really ought to go back to reading the Highway Code and park LEGALLY! Leaving sufficient space for a car to squeeze through is not a good omen for getting a fire appliance through. There has always been a problem but now it’s getting ridiculous.
Start using your brains people!
If damage is caused by any emergency vehicle to vehicles that are illegally parked it is down to the owner of the vehicle and not the service that caused the damage. There are a lot of vehicle owners on the estate that have front drives and rear garage parking… yet they continually park on the road giving very limited access… but they will definitely be the ones complaining when their vehicle is damaged when emergency vehicles cannot get safely past.
“There are a lot of vehicle owners on the estate that have front drives and rear garage parking… yet they continually park on the road giving very limited access… but they will definitely be the ones complaining when their vehicle is damaged when emergency vehicles cannot get safely past.”
Quite agree Ramses2k – if they were not parked illegally/carelessly in the first instance, their progress would be totally unhindered – saving vital seconds.
Quite right regarding the inconsiderate parking, people should spare a thought as to how they would feel their elderly parents or children were trapped, seconds do count. Regarding the clousure of certain stations its about time as most of the stations in Bristol are over 40 years old and are inefficient energy wise. It will save the tax payers a fortune, having modern energy efficient buildings.
Completely agree about the inconsiderate/lazy/illegal parking on the roads around Patchway.
Very true too that those who do it would be the first to complain about damage to their car, but conversely would be fuming if an ambulance/fire engine wasn’t with them in double quick time even though the delays were being caused by ignorant/lazy people such as themselves.
As an aside, I wonder what the space Patchway Fire Station is set on will be used for? Perhaps demolish Patchway Clinic and build a larger/multi purpose NHS Facility (with better parking provision?)
Something of use for everyone
I’ve posted previously about the parking in Worthing Road.
Sooner or later the parking there is going to prevent an ambulance or fire engine from getting through to a genuine emergency……it’s ridiculous.
And when South Glos Council subsequently slap down double yellows on both sides, they’ll be the loudest moaners.
None so blind as those who will not see……..
Wish we could “like” posts here “Cavendish Muppet”. Totally agree with you.
Also like…..It just used to be the ‘Britannia’ end of Worthing Road – now it’s the entire length. It’s when you people parking half on the footpath/half on the road opposite someone who has parked legally, because they think they can because it’s outside their house. What about the disabled and those with buggies being able to get past. There are quite a few people who have dropped kerbs installed before realising that their front garden depth from curtilage to front wall is not deep enough to prevent cars from overhanging pavement. What is need is an purge by traffic officers – might get a couple of road tax dodgers as well.
Well, in fairness, and playing the rhino here (sitting on the fence…..rhino-sore-ass….get it?) it could be argued that the egregious (you might need to Google that) parking in Worthing actually contributes to road safety given that boy-racers attempting to impress their girlie passengers can’t floor the accelerator because it’s a slalom course.
See, I try to see both sides.
I hope you won’t judge me harshly because of that.
I feel sorry for the residents of Worthing as the cars parked at the extremes of each “raft” become the bollards in a chicane and liable to incur damage by drivers as outlined above who are bound not to stop when having scraped something and are probably not insured either.