First glimpse of Stradbally's new €3.2m fire station

AN IMPRESSIVE architect’s image of the planned new fire station in Stradbally has been released by Laois County Council, as the €3.2m project gets a welcome green light to go to tender.

The council announced today that it has received approval to invite tenders for the construction of ‘a new, state-of-the-art, two-bay fire station’ in the Electric Picnic town.

In a statement, council officials said they were 'delighted to announce' that the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, part of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, has given approval for the invitation of tenders.

Elected members of Laois County Council previously agreed Part 8 development proposals for the new station, which will be located at the junction of Main Street and the Abbeyleix Road. The development has been designed by a multi-disciplinary team led by Dublin-based NODE Architecture.

The new building will replace the small old fire station on Main Street, which was built in 1954. According to the council, overall costs for the new fire station are estimated at 'in or around' €3.2m.

The second busiest of the county's eight fire stations, Stradbally was mobilised to 157 incidents last year.

Laois Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Declan Power said: “This development will be of huge benefit to the firefighters of Stradbally. In addition to the two-bay unit, the development provides additional facilities for training which, in turn, supports enhancements in the emergency response capacity available to the citizens of Laois, together with those visiting and passing through the county."

Welcoming what he described as a significant investment, council cathaoirleach Cllr Padraig Fleming said: "Fire and emergency services play a critical role in our communities and it is important that the facilities available to those services are to the appropriate standard."

Laois County Council chief executive Michael Rainey commented: "The new fire station will be a modern, fit for purpose facility that will serve the community of Stradbally and its hinterlands for many years to come.”

The local authority added that Near Zero Energy Building (NZEB) is a key design principle that will feature in the new fire station, in keeping with Laois County Council’s Climate Action Plan. The works will introduce environmentally-friendly features, including the installation of PV panels, air-to water heating systems, together with insulation of doors, windows, roof, floor and walls. 

The design also incorporates a training yard with drill tower, lecture room, canteen and staff facilities for 12 firefighters, with individual changing areas for each crew member.