Willmott Dixon picked for £26m Bradford fire station

Willmott Dixon has moved onto site in Birkenshaw, southeast of Bradford, to demolish existing buildings that will make way for an urban search and rescue training centre.The project forms part of wider modernisation plans for West Yorkshire fire stations. The old headquarters, in the Grade II listed Oakroyd Hall, will be sold once the new build is complete in 2024.Assistant chief fire officer Nick Smith is leading the building programme for West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service. He said: “Seeing the old buildings coming down and so quickly has made this transformation real to us all now.“Discussions to build a new headquarters have been on the cards for well over a decade, so it is great to see this finally taking shape. This is an integral part of our aim to be a modern, efficient, and effective fire service, keep[ing] our communities safe.“The Birkenshaw site redevelopment is part of a wider estates strategy to ensure all our stations across the region are modern and fit for purpose now and well into the future.”Willmott Dixon was selected for the job via the Scape framework.Other recent Willmott Dixon projects for the emergency services include Dorset Police headquarters, a new headquarters for West Yorkshire Police in Kirklees, Nottinghamshire Police custody suite, South Wales Police learning centre and West Sussex fire service training centre and fire station.