Reinvesting in one of the city’s most important buildings
Willmott Dixon is delivering the rebuild of Bath Fire Station for Avon Fire & Rescue Service at the station’s existing Cleveland Bridge site. Built in 1938, the station was one of the oldest in the service’s estate and in urgent need of reinvestment. Procured through the Southern Construction Framework (SCF), the project will replace it with a modern, energy-efficient facility that is net zero in operation – designed around the needs of a modern fire and rescue service.
Firefighters and staff joined Willmott Dixon at a groundbreaking ceremony in July 2026 to mark the start of construction, following the demolition of the existing building. The new station is scheduled for completion in summer 2027; while it is built, crews continue to serve the community from a temporary station at Roseberry Place on Lower Bristol Road.
What we are delivering
The new two-storey, 1,944m² station brings the service’s operational, welfare and training needs together in a single, purpose-designed building:
- A six-bay appliance building at the heart of the station.
- Contemporary operational, welfare and training spaces designed around firefighter safety, health, rest and wellbeing.
- An energy-efficient, net zero in operation design that lowers long-term running, repair and maintenance costs.
- A steel-framed, two-storey building on the existing city-centre site at Cleveland Bridge.
- A design developed to respect the heritage of its Bath surroundings.
Protecting response times for the city
Location was central to the decision to rebuild on the same site. The station’s prime position protects response times in line with the service’s eight-minute target, helping crews reach emergencies faster across the city. The investment also supports the retention of skilled firefighters, strengthens long-term resilience, and gives Avon Fire & Rescue Service a building that will serve Bath for generations to come.
A trusted partner to the emergency services
The project builds on Willmott Dixon’s established relationship with Avon Fire & Rescue Service, having previously delivered new and refurbished fire stations across the Bristol area, including at Kingswood, Hicks Gate and Temple.
It adds to a growing nationwide blue light portfolio that includes the £25.6m Pendle Police Station in Lancashire, the £55m redevelopment of Hertfordshire Constabulary’s headquarters, a new fire station and training centre for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, a forensics centre for Thames Valley Police, and new headquarters for Dorset, Humberside and Merseyside police forces (below).