Builders nearing completion of Theale Community Fire Station for Thames Valley emergency services

Contractor Knights Brown has announced that is has almost completed work on the Theale Community Fire Station.

The facility – due to open in spring next year – will be staffed jointly by the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS), Thames Valley Police and South Central Ambulance Service.

In addition, space will be set aside on the premises for community groups, including a bookable meeting room.

It is hoped that the station will facilitate emergency responses through the region, with the existing Pangbourne complex set to be phased out and sold.

There are also plans to scrap the RBFRS site in Dee Road, Tilehurst, with services and vehicles relocated to Theale.

The Theale project was made possible by funds from the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority's (RBFA) Strategic Asset Investment Framework, which also oversaw the refurbishment of Hungerford Community Fire Station in 2016.

The RBFA's lead member for strategic assets, Angus Ross, said: "I'm delighted that Theale Community Fire Station is nearing completion and am confident that it will be a fantastic investment that the local community will be proud of.

"I know that this new community fire station will provide a modern, fit-for-purpose facility that will deliver on our strategic commitment to ensure that our fire stations, people and resources are placed firmly at the heart of local communities."

The construction of the Theale station began in 2020, and steady progress has been made ever since.

Plans for a facility to bring together all three regional emergency services had been in the pipeline for many years beforehand.

In February last year, workers 'topped out' the structure, marking having built it to its highest planned point – although coronavirus restrictions prevented a formal ceremony.

In lieu of this, a tree was placed temporarily at the station's 'peak'.