New Whitefield fire station opens on Bury New Road 2026

Key Points

• Whitefield Community Fire Station on Bury New Road was officially opened by the Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Craig on Tuesday 6 October 2026.
• The two-storey fire station was constructed by Robertson Construction North West for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS).
• This new development replaced the old 1960s fire station and comprised a revamped appliance bay, gym, training tower, landscaping and parking.
• This was one of the developments within GMFRS’s estates improvement programme, where £38 million and £65 million programmes were quoted for the investment in the estate of the service.
• In December 2025, Robertson completed construction of Blackley Community Fire Station; Whitefield is its second completed station for GMFRS.
• Robertson is also engaged in GMFRS’s planning stage for two other stations in Heywood and Withington.
• The new station has several environmental aspects including solar panels, air source heat pumps, a green roof, energy-efficient lights and electric vehicle chargers.
• Robertson noted that in the Blackley and Whitefield stations, 28 local people were employed with 198 weeks of apprenticeships provided.
• Whitefield firefighters had a temporary station located on the same site throughout construction period.
• The station was won by Robertson via the North West Construction Hub.

Bury (Manchester Mirror) October 9, 2026 – Whitefield Community Fire Station has officially opened after Robertson Construction North West completed the rebuild of the Bury New Road facility for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Craig formally opened the station at a ceremony on Tuesday 6 October, attended by firefighters, Greater Manchester Combined Authority representatives, local residents, Robertson and project partners.

As reported by Robertson, the new station is a modern, two-storey building created after demolition of the existing facility. It includes a revitalised appliance bay, gym, state-of-the-art training tower, improved landscaping and upgraded parking facilities.

What Has Been Built In Whitefield?

The replacement station is intended to improve operational facilities for Whitefield crews while also providing community-facing space. According to Robertson, the facilities are expected to support the service’s response and resilience as firefighters continue serving the local community.

As reported by Dan Whelan of Place North West, the Bury New Road building is a replacement for the town’s dated 1960s station and forms part of GMFRS’s wider estate revamp. Place North West reported that Robertson completed the two-storey, 13,000 sq ft station before handing it over to the fire service.

The Bury Times reported that the station forms part of GMFRS’s £38m estates improvement programme, which is delivering modern fire stations across Greater Manchester. The newspaper said the station is expected to serve Whitefield and surrounding areas for decades, while also creating a permanent community hub in the town.

Who Attended The Opening?

The opening ceremony was led by Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig. According to Robertson, attendees included firefighters, members of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, local community members, Robertson staff and project partners.

The Bury Times reported that Bury South MP Christian Wakeford, Bury Mayor Cllr Mohammed Tahir Rafiq, councillors from across the political spectrum and pupils from All Saints C of E Primary School also attended. The schoolchildren took part in an artwork competition to mark the opening, with winning entries to be professionally reproduced and displayed inside the station.

Whitefield station manager Dave Roach opened the ceremony. As reported by the Bury Times, he reflected on the difficulty of maintaining a full emergency response while the redevelopment was under way.

How Did Firefighters Continue Working During Construction?

Whitefield crews worked from a temporary station on the existing Bury New Road site while the new building was constructed. GMFRS had previously said this arrangement was intended to ensure the community continued to receive the same level of cover during the rebuild.

As reported by the Bury Times, Dave Roach said maintaining operational response was a priority from the beginning of the project. He said crews adapted to the temporary station, travelled elsewhere for practical training and supported both moves while continuing their duties and training.

Roach also praised behind-the-scenes staff, including estates and IT teams, as well as Robertson Construction North West, which delivered the project.

What Did Bev Craig Say?

Mayor Bev Craig said continued investment in emergency services was essential despite wider financial pressures. As reported by the Bury Times, she said firefighter numbers were rising again after years of decline and that facilities such as Whitefield helped equip the service to work “better, faster and more effectively”.

In remarks published by Robertson, Craig said:

“As Greater Manchester grows, it’s vital we continue backing our fire service with the modern facilities it needs to help keep our residents safe.”

She described the station as an investment in Whitefield, its residents and the firefighters who work to keep communities safe.

Craig also said Whitefield was part of a wider long-term vision to modernise fire service facilities across Greater Manchester. The Bury Times reported that she hoped the Whitefield project would be “only the beginning” of a wider programme of new stations and modern facilities across the city region.

What Did GMFRS Say About The New Station?

Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel said the strength of GMFRS was its people and that they needed the right facilities to carry out their roles. In comments published by Robertson, he said the station gives Whitefield crews a modern and practical workplace and supports them in keeping people safe across Greater Manchester.

Russel also thanked everyone involved in delivering the station and praised Whitefield crews for their professionalism and patience during construction. He described the project as part of GMFRS’s long-term investment in the service, its people and the communities it serves.

As reported by the Bury Times, Russel said the condition of GMFRS’s estate had been “very poor” when he joined the service six years earlier. He said new fire stations provide first-class facilities for firefighters and act as symbols of commitment to local communities.

Russel added that the building was intended to serve the wider community as well as emergency crews, highlighting the community room and ground-floor spaces. He said those facilities should be used as much as possible by local people.

Why Is The Station Environmentally Significant?

The station has been designed with environmental features that support Greater Manchester’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2038. According to Robertson, these include a green roof to regulate temperature and reduce rainwater run-off, solar panels, air source heat pumps, energy-efficient lighting and electric vehicle charging points.

Robertson’s separate project information states that the Whitefield station was designed to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating. It says the design includes three air source heat pumps, 47 solar panels and a green roof system, alongside external drainage measures.

The contractor also said that, during pre-construction, it surveyed the demolition scope to identify opportunities to reuse materials and reduce waste. Robertson said 100% of existing materials on site were reused to create a substrate for the new station.

What Is Robertson’s Role In GMFRS’s Estate Programme?

Whitefield is Robertson Construction North West’s second completed fire station for GMFRS. The contractor previously completed Blackley Community Fire Station, which opened in December 2025, and is working with GMFRS in the planning stages of new stations in Heywood and Withington.

Robertson said Whitefield Community Fire Station was awarded through the North West Construction Hub. Its case study lists the project value as £7.356m, with completion in September 2026 after a 77-week construction period.

As reported by Place North West, Robertson is working with GMFRS in the planning stages of two further stations in Heywood and Withington. The publication also reported that Whitefield was the second fire station built by Robertson in Greater Manchester in a short period, following Blackley late last year.

How Did Robertson Describe The Project’s Local Impact?

Paul Coyle, regional managing director at Robertson Construction North West, said it was “incredibly rewarding” to attend the official opening at Whitefield. He said the station was the second new facility delivered by Robertson after Blackley and that both were now playing an important role in supporting firefighters and communities.

Coyle said the Blackley and Whitefield projects helped generate local impact by employing 28 local people, providing 198 weeks of apprenticeships and prioritising local MSME spend. He said Robertson looked forward to building on that impact and continuing its partnership with GMFRS.

What Happened To The Station’s Fish Pond And Tree?

The rebuild also preserved two well-known features at the former station: its fish pond and a distinctive monkey puzzle tree. As reported by the Bury Times, Dave Roach said the fish were temporarily relocated to a pond at Bury Fire Station, while the tree remains at the front of the new building.

Roach said the fish needed temporary accommodation during the rebuild, adding that the tree remained “proudly” at the front of the station.

Background Of The Development

Construction on the new Whitefield Community Fire Station began after demolition of the old station started in May 2025. GMFRS said at the time that the new station was expected to be completed by October 2026, with firefighters operating from a temporary station on Bury New Road during the work.

GMFRS also said Robertson took over as lead construction contractor for both Blackley and Whitefield in March 2025 after the previous contractor went into administration. The service said the transition was completed thoroughly and without delay, allowing construction to return to schedule.

The wider estates programme was approved in 2021. The Bury Times reported that it had already delivered a new station in Blackley, with further projects planned elsewhere in Greater Manchester.

Prediction: What It Means For Whitefield Residents

For Whitefield residents, the opening is likely to mean a more modern local base for fire crews, with improved operational facilities intended to support emergency response and resilience. The station’s community room and ground-floor spaces may also give local groups more opportunities to use the building, subject to GMFRS’s arrangements for community access.

The project may also strengthen confidence in the area’s public-service infrastructure, particularly because firefighters remained operational from a temporary base throughout construction. The inclusion of energy-efficient systems and electric vehicle charging could reduce the station’s environmental impact over time, although the direct effect on residents will depend on how GMFRS uses and maintains the new facilities.