A topping out ceremony has been held to celebrate reaching the highest point of construction work for the new Crowthorne Tri-Service Community Fire Station. The ceremony took place in November with the final beam being laid. This now means the building will be water tight, ready for internal works to begin before the winter months.
Crowthorne is part of the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority’s plans to modernise the fire and rescue service’s buildings over the next 15 years, providing suitable, fit for purpose, community-based fire stations across the County of Berkshire.
Crowthorne will become Royal Berkshire’s second Tri-Service Community Fire Station, following the opening of Hungerford Community Fire Station in July 2017. These station designs offer a shared location for our blue-light partners – Thames Valley Police and South Central Ambulance Service.
The topping out celebration is said to bring good luck and prosperity to all those who use the new building. Fire Authority Members were given a guided tour as they moved through the building, revealing the bay where the fire engine will be housed and the communal areas where firefighters, police officers and ambulance personnel can respond from. Members were also able to see the progress of the various energy efficient features such as roof mounted solar panels and plans for electric vehicle charging points, which will reduce the environmental footprint in the community.
Councillor Angus Ross, Strategic Asset Lead who is overseeing the Crowthorne rebuild project for the Fire Authority, said: “We are delighted to have celebrated such a significant milestone in the build. The ongoing support from the community while the work is taking place has been outstanding and we are looking forward to welcoming them to the anticipated opening in summer 2020.”
In addition, a community room will be included in the build. This will provide a flexible, fully accessible meeting space for local residents and community groups to use.
The celebration was attended by Councillor Angus Ross, Councillor Dexter Smith, Councillor Tina McKenzie-Boyle, alongside our Property Capital Projects Team. Construction Contractor, Knights Brown also attended.
