old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Been past today and there is "something afoot".
Two "workmen" stood by the open doorway into the building. Large pieces of new wood nailed to the bottom of each doorway where the engines came out of. Through a "hole" in one of the windows, could see inside and there are rows and rows of what looked like long metal bars (similar in style to downspouts).

Mmmmm, wonder whats going on.

Atarah
The reason I have always been interested in this building is cos one of my great uncles, George Hindle, worked as a stone mason for Cunliffe's of Accrington, who were the builders of the station.

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

This is the only thing I can find on it Atarah, whether there has been anything since don't know.

http://www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/site/cu...11_06_0137.pdf

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

I thought they had paid well over the odds for it.

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

i wouldn't know wadey. i never bought a fire station.:D

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Am still none the wiser but when I came past on the bus today (was too dark to take a piccy) one of the large red doors has been completely taken down and replaced with a large glass "door" split into smaller sized panes. There seemed to be an "advertising board" or something with 3 initials as a name of some sort. Must get down there Tues and have a nosey again.
Atarah

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

we went passed on Saturday and i noticed the block type pieces of wood that you mentioned, i didnt see anything else though, maybe they did that on Sunday

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Just called in the Old Fire Station, and asked them what they were doing, they said they were turning it into a resturant, replacing the doors with double glazed units. I said is that what all the kitchen stuff is for in the old garages, the answer was yes.
I then burst out laughing, told them who'd want to eat in a goldfish bowl, any way the building was'nt worth repairing for the fire service, because the foundations are moving, the bloke who built it went bankrupt, because he had'nt reckoned on the ground conditions.

Retlaw.

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

This building went to auction at least 12 months ago, if I remember correctly, it went for £450,000, and the proposal at that time was for apartments, but I believe there was an issue with parking spaces. I stand to be corrected though, as some of the info received is likely to be just heresay.

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Oh please look at my post Derekgas on the Planning Permission granted and the conditions ! x

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

When I worked there all the parking spaces were clearly defined, the cops had theirs, weights and measures had theirs & the rest was fire brigade.

The history of the site where the cop shop, fire station and the houses were built is interesting, to me anyway. It might look a sturdy building, but its not, the foundations have been shored up in some places, the rear wall in Grange Lane had to be rebuilt, during the 1970's, the houses on the Grange Lane side, had tons of concrete poured under them, some of the susidence was near a foot in places, there are large cracks in the station drill yard,which have been patched up with new tarmac, and some of the old houses that were in what became the drill yard, are still there, underground intact. The cops wanted an underground control room, when the builders cut through the wall in the cellar, they arrived at the open window of an old cottage, every thing inside was intact, walls fire places, even some old furniture, the builders backed off quick & sealed the wall back up. The under ground control room never got built.

Retlaw.

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Katey
Every so often I go down to the old Station, to see whats going on. I worked & lived in that building for 30 years. When I first started it was a 56 hour week 3 days, 9am - 6pm then 3 nights, 6pm - 9am on a 3 shift system, A, B, & C watches. I was on B watch. I managed to rescue the old log book for when I joined, they were being burnt.

That planning application is near 3 years old, the kitchen equipment I saw in the old garages this afternoon, had been stacked inside the Fire Station for near 12 months. At one time it was stacked up with old metal office furniture, and looked a right tip.

Retlaw.

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Very interesting Retlaw, but surely before the owners purchased this building they would have paid out for full survey before purchasing, which surely would have thrown up these 'faults' ... so do you think your sarcastic laugh at the workers was justified ?

They had to start the work withing 3 years anyway.

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Katey
A full survey, with Lancs County Council holding all the cards, you must be joking, they are the ones that kept doing the bodge up jobs, do you think they would open all their files.

One of my tasks as the Fire Brigade Union Rep was health and safety, I made a 3 monthly report to the station commander, who in turn passed it to division & then to H.Q., every so often the county inspector would turn up, have a look, see the station commander and then disappear.

I ony wish I'd kept a copy of my reports. The workmen wer'nt bothered when I laughed, they will do there job get paid and move to the next job,
what happens after they could'nt care less.

Retlaw.

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Oh well, better be careful then when eating at the new restaurant, in case our Prawn Cocktails fall through the floor boards .... :D:D

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Don't worry about the floor boards, its a tiled floor on concrete, just don't go near the front doors that are now being replaced with double glazing.

Under there there is a 3 foot square tunnel running the full length of the building, it was for the central heating pipes fed from the boiler house in the cop shop cellar, all that would have been turned off, when it was sold, and damp will have set in, remember it was sold by auction, buyer beware.

All the heating, in what was known as the bath block, has gone as well, plasters coming off the walls, they are also two vehicle inspection pits in the fire station which were boarded over, if you don't know where they are, you may be one of the lucky ones that goes through.

Retlaw

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

I suspect that many public buildings are not a sound as they look.
When I looked after Melbourne House we had a problem with the concrete pillars which are the basis for the whole structure - think 'Ronan Point' and you will understand.
The weight on the floors holds the walls in - there were 'no go' areas where you could not place heavy filing cabinets.
These pillars are metal reinforced concrete and they were shoddily made because the bubbles were not shaken out of the concrete mix -these air bubbles contain moisture which is now rusting the metal reinforcement -it showed internally with the finding of some damp patches on the pillars.

So if Melbourne House ever becomes 'a block of luxury apartments' don't buy one

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

I can remember working there in the early 70s Margaret, the staff on the first floor were complaining that the heat from the boiler room was affecting their tootsies so we stuck fire retardant tiles on the concrete ceiling, was one of the worst jobs I ever had to do, wearing shorts and no shirt in the middle of winter and was still sweating my nadgers off:D

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

You were exposed to asbestos - or maybe the tiles you installed were asbestos.:eek:
I took over the responsibilty for the building in mid 80s.
By then all asbestos had been removed from the cellar in a special operation.

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

All those pipes that run in the tunnel under the front of the fire station, were covered in the old fashioned lagging, painted red, so that could be asbestos, now got me wondering about the number of times I was in that tunnel, the boilers in the police cellar were covered in the same lagging.

Retlaw.

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

I have a friend whose husband has asbestosis which he got whilst working as a maintenance fitter for CEGB Huncoat power station. It was a long battle for compen but he eventually got it, helped by the fact that he had had no other employer and never smoked cigarettes.
There has been a recent court ruling which will help with the battle for compen
Landmark ruling for asbestos victims - Health News, Health & Wellbeing - The Independent

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

is this the fire station next to the police station in accy? im still not good at street names.

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Yes, its the building that had the big red doors on it :rolleyes:

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

shhhh......i know that it used to be a fire station, i just didnt know if there was another one somewhere else :p

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

There is but its the new one near KFC and lidl lol

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

No they weren't asbestos Margaret, I know that for sure

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

There was asbestos lagging in the cellar at the time you worked there.
One inhaled particle of lagging accidentally disturbed can be lethal

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Its known as blue asbestos, long fibers like minature needles, float in air, and when inhaled can penetrate the lung wall, the little beggars can lie dormant for over 40 years. Then the other two sorts of asbestos, some are paranoid over the substances, but the one mixed with cement and made into asbestos cladding is different, the 3rd one is an asbetos mineral used in making jewelry, called Tiger Eye.

Retlaw.

Old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Here is a photo which I wanted to post on Monday but didnt know how to do it. Today (Wed) three of the old doors in total have been replaced by glass.

will keep you posted.

Atarah

Old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Here we can see that two windows are now installed.

Atarah

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

wonder how long the glass doors will survive.

Old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

All five doors have now been replaced.
I really cannot imagine this building as a restaurant, I really cant.
Atarah

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Can't remember there being any lagging on the pies when I did the ceiling Margaret, think they may have been lagged after we tiled the ceiling, I'm talking about 1968/9

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Why did they need lagging on pies?

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Keeps them warm.:p

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Exactly:rolleyes:

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Just realised that some may not be able to get into the link I put up showing the Planning Permission and new use, this was it :-

Particulars and location of development:
Change of use and erection of new buildings to form the following alternative developments: 6 residential units, 6 office units (B1), car showroom, auction house restaurant (B3) and alterations
The Old Fire Station Manchester Road Accrington BB5 2BH

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Drove past on Friday and it looks to be back up for sale, any ideas

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Nope .. could be they ran out of money ?

Re: old Fire Station on Manchester Road
 

Not a lot of that green stuff about these days Kate:rolleyes: