Council to vote on the future of Bath's historic fire station
The government is reviewing its decision not to grant listed status to Bath’s art deco fire station
The government is reviewing its decision not to grant listed status to Bath’s art deco fire station while councillors are due to vote on whether to demolish it.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service wants to knock down the 1930s fire station, which has doors too narrow for modern fire engines, and build a modern state-of-the-art facility in its place.
Bath and North East Somerset Council’s planning committee will vote on whether to grant planning permission for the scheme on Wednesday November 19th.
But campaigners have been calling for the historic fire station to be saved, with Historic England applying to have it Grade II listed.
The government turned the request down in September, but that decision is now under review.
But if that review has not finished before the planning committee meet tomorrow, the original decision stands and councillors will vote on demolishing an non-listed building.
The Twentieth Century Society has hailed the fire station as a rare work by a female architect from the era. It was completed in 1938 by Molly Gerrard (nee Taylor), who went on to design Kilowatt House. Historic England said: “It is probably the last of the long tradition of classical buildings in the city before the period in which modernism dominated the architectural scene.”
The fire station saw Bath through the Bath Blitz in 1942 but today is one of Avon Fire and Rescue Service’s oldest fire stations. The appliance bay doors are not wide enough for modern fire engines, which the planning application warned was compromising response times and safety. It said: “Vehicles frequently strike the sides of the building.”
The council’s planning officers are recommending that the planning committee approve the demolition and rebuild plan, arguing that needs of the emergency services and public safety outweigh the loss of a historic building. Their report added: “Within Bath, the fire service play an important role in protecting other historic buildings and heritage assets of higher significance, including the world heritage site, from fire damage.”
Avon Fire and Rescue Service’s planning application said: “The redevelopment of Bath Fire Station provides a unique opportunity to deliver a facility that is purpose-built to meet the needs of a 21st-century fire and rescue service.”
A new fire station cannot simply be built in a different location. On-call firefighters are required to live within a five minute drive of the fire station, and so moving from the current site would involve relocating or re-recruiting 14 individuals.
The new building would have wider and taller appliance bay doors, and have six instead of five. It would also include decontamination facilities needed for modern firefighting and — critically — welfare spaces. A letter in support of the plans on behalf of the station’s fire crews said: “Firefighters are often first on scene at deeply distressing incidents, and they are expected to make rapid, life-or-death decisions under pressure.
“They treat injured casualties, work in extreme heat and smoke, witness the aftermath of personal tragedies, and frequently do so in the middle of the night, after already demanding shifts. Repeated exposure to such traumatic events can have a profound effect on mental health, contributing to stress, anxiety, sleep disturbances and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“Despite these challenges, many of our current facilities offer minimum provision for recovery or wellbeing. The modernised fire station provides spaces that support both physical recuperation and emotional resilience, such as private areas where counselling can be received, peaceful internal and external wellbeing areas and a gym to maintain the required operational fitness standards.”
The new building would have a “dedicated wellbeing terrace” with planting as an outdoor space for rest and reflection. Meanwhile an on-site gym and painted basketball court would encourage physical activity and stress relief, the application stated. It added: “A modern kitchen and lounge area create a welcoming, social environment that fosters camaraderie and relaxation.”
Some parts of the historic building will be preserved under the new plan. The original fireman’s pole will be reclaimed and incorporated into the final design of the new fire station. The crest on the facade of the current building would also be carefully salvaged and “prominently re-set at the public entrance.”