Fire station opening delayed by problems

Contractors engaged by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue initially estimated that work on the new building in Cudworth, near Barnsley, would be finished on March 26.

But today a meeting of the county's fire authority, which oversees the brigade's work, will be told that the date has now slipped back and the station is set to open on June 2.

Roadworks outside the new station, in the village's Tumbling Lane, have led to some of the delays, with builders struggling to connect utilities like gas, water and electricity.

A one-way system has also been imposed by Barnsley Council while its staff complete the roadworks project, meaning that it would not be safe to run fire appliances from the site.

Ian Beaumont, the brigade's capital projects and environmental manager, will tell today's meeting that some problems have recently been overcome leading to the new completion date.

His report says: "Work continues to progress on the fit out of the station and quality is being maintained. The delay in getting gas and electricity connections has slowed the internal finishes work, which requires stable temperatures.

"The under floor heating system has not yet been commissioned which has delayed floor finishes, however the contractor remains confident that the revised date for practical completion can be achieved."

The Cudworth fire station is the latest in a series of ambitious building projects taken on by the brigade in recent years, including a new station at Penistone and a state-of-the-art facility in the Dearne Valley.

A new headquarters opened in Eyre Street in Sheffield city centre several months ago and demolition work began last week on the former brigade HQ in Wellington Street. It is thought the site may be used as part of the city's stalled retail quarter scheme Sevenstone.