£3.5m fire station opens with pledge to improve 999 response times

The Cudworth station in Barnsley will house full-time crews and a fire engine which were previously based at Royston, several miles away.

Because Royston is closer to the Wakefield boundary, it means the fire crews will be better placed to respond quickly to incidents in a full radius around the new station.

The existing Royston station will remain in service but as a "retained" station where crews are called out from home or work to respond when incidents happen.

Barnsley Council leader Steve Houghton performed the opening ceremony and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue's Chief Fire Officer Mark Smitherman said: "Cudworth station is a first-class community facility which will be a valuable resource for local people, helping us to strengthen our links with the local communities. The location will further improve the emergency response service our firefighters provide to the local people across the east of Barnsley."

The station cost 3.5m and has a community room for use by residents in the area as well as space to house two fire engines.