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Central Fire Station Hq

D

Derelict-UK

master brummie
(Edit. Please note there is a thread aboutBirmingham local fire stations here https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/birmingham-fire-stations.40800/page-3)



Edit. Unfortunately the images referred to below are no longer available.
Got permission to take pictures of this place today, thought it was necessary before it gets converted and lost forever.

***CAUTION***PIC HEAVY***

What a place, from the front, you are met with 11 Big Red Bay Doors which allowed the engines out to an emergency, the building was built in 1934 and the architecture is to die for.

A shame that in time, not so far in the future, the building will be knocked down, saving only the red doors and the clock tower which will be incorporated into a new mixed use building (but mostly student housing).

The fire station was decommissioned in December 2008 and moved down the road about 2 miles away to a brand new state-of-the-art building that can work well with current technologies.

West Midland Fire Service spent 12 months consulting with B'ham City Council for the best use of the building after they left.

The building still has a lot of character, even though most of the rooms are empty offices. On the top floor of the main building, there is something that you would not expect to see when looking at it from the outside (see pictures)

Many of the floors are wood laid, creaking as you walk on them. There are underground tunnels that were used for training and as with all fire stations, a training tower (locked :( )

This site was used not so long ago by the BBC for filming of the new series of Survivors.

For a bit more on the building, this is a good site to read...

https://expbirmingham.wordpress.com/2007/10/23/the-west-midlands-fire-service-hq/


Anyway, nuff babble, onto the images.





All the doors to the pole were locked, so I could only get a shot from the bottom, no ride in the fireman's pole for me:(:D



Fire Service Carpet :D



Through these doors was something I really wasn't expecting to see...



An old band photo...



Control Room...



Views from the tower, the clock was sealed away...



B.A. Storage area...


Tunnel training instructions..

Hi Hiiii



D-UK
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Derelict-UK: Thanks a lot for posting those amazing photos from the inside of the Main Fire Station at Lancaster Place. Like many of us on this forum we would have passed by this building many many many times and hadn't a clue what it was like inside unless we had some connection with someone who worked there. I didn't so it was absolutely fascinating to me to view the inside via your photos. The entrance and lift are very interesting plus the staircases. What's behind the big red doors is finally revealed. Then there is the pole....The amazing surprise of finding a fully sprung ballroom complete with stage...never knew about that. So it goes from photo to photo revealing all and satisfying a curiosity at least for me about the interior of the place. Thank's again Derelict-UK for these excellent photos.
 
D-UK:

Brilliant pics, but number 12 isn't showing. I had a look on 28dl earlier and it had the same problem there.

Maurice :cool:
 
Wonderful pictures Derek, I have just looked at things It would not be possible to see without you and this great forum. Thanks, and keep it up.
 
:cry:what a waste of good am radio equipment .i hope it goes to a good home.ie me:D fantastic pics thanks.for posting em
pete
 
well i just want to weep....i give up...cant beleive some of the rooms in that building..from the outside you would not beleive it....very big of them to keep the doors and the tower....with whats left inside including the control rooms if i had my way i would have turned this into a museum..maybe even incorporating it with our other emergency services....just imagine how many little kids would want to visit it..(and big ones)

thank you mike for gaining permission and taking the time to get these wonderful photos....we owe you a great debt...


lyn...:):)
 
lyn.i agree its our heritage when its gone its gone for ever.:cry:.all the history gone by the swing of a hammer.i am just, well i cant say on here
 
Altho I don't live in Birmingham any more, I did live there for 60 years. What a shock it was to see the fire station closed. I came into town past the fire station every day when I worked there and I cant believe they have moved out. Something else thats disappeared from our city. What a shame.
Thank you so much for posting those wonderful photos.
 
Lovely photos, my mom used to work in the ambulance control room around 1960, have some photos somewhere, will try and find them and put them on. You never know someone might recognise someone. :)
 
I agree with lyn.it would be a perfect place for a museum.perhaps a science museum.where all the hidden artifacts from dollman street could be displayed. but doubt if our council leaders would listen to us.just like politicians.
 
denise...we would love to see any photos you have...:):)ive just looked at mikes pics again and this has got to rate as one of the worst decisions taken raise the old station to the ground and turn it into flats and apartments....its basically a museum as it stands....woe is me.....:':)':)'(

lyn
 
Hi Denise was going to send you a message when I saw this thread because I remember your mom working there. Look forward to seeing them. Jean.
 
I also think it's a museum, just as it it. Beautiful pics - so glad you posted them; it's a shame we don't know what's behind those big red doors till somebody can gain access & spread the word. Is there going to be any consultation about the future of the building ??
 
hi millie...so glad you agree..its such a shame...all that art deco inside is going to be ripped apart....if you go to post 1 you will see that the decision has already been made as to whats to become of the station...and its not a good one...:(:(

lyn
 
I went on a school trip to that beautiful Building when I was at Cowper Street. I never forgot it and the Red Tarmac outside about 1946/47:(

Thanks for the wonderful photos.:)
 
what a waste of a valuable resources demolished to put up students who i bet like most civil servants will never appreciate what we have with these great buildings such a beautiful interior :(typical :rolleyes:thanks for the pics
 
hi

Agree with everybody. Looking at its pure Historic content
these are a valuable content for Carl chinns programmes.
Super pics thanks a lot.

Mike Jenks
 
Derek, The Central Fire Station was always a magnet to me from my childhood pre-WW2 and into later life i never imagined what a magnificent interior it had, it is much to good to be demolished, Thanks for the superb photos. Len.
 
morning mike....this one has got to me so much i found it difficult to sleep last night :( so much so that i will be trying to find out exactly what will happen to any of the removable interia..surely they are not going to skip it all...its nothing short of criminal if thats the plan....

lyn:redface:
 
Wonderful pictures Derek, I have just looked at things It would not be possible to see without you and this great forum.
My Godmother's husband was Fire Chief there at one time , but I only ever got Just inside 'The Big Red Doors' where the Fire Engines were .
Thanx for sharing them.
 
hi eric...they have moved just a couple of miles away....not sure exactly where it is though..

lyn:):)
 
Len they took us to me a family in one of those Flats they were so different to what our back to back were.

I can' get over the thought that its going:(
 
Wonderful photos Derek. I never imagined the interior would be anything like that. I agree with everyone else's sentiments - what a waste if it is all to be demolished for student accommodation. I can hardly believe they would do that.

Judy
 
i know the(west midlands fire service) said they were moving to new headquarters being buit at the old co-op milk depot in duddeston mill road.buts its not a fire station.the 2 remaining fire engines at central fire station were sent to aston and hay mills. the new headquarters seems to tackle safety.heres a link to it.
https://www.wmfs.net/Safeside/
 
Afternoon all,
This is tantamount to sacriligion, that beautiful 30's art deco interior being bulldozed is unbelievable.
Surely someone somewhere could start a protest to save it and turn it into what it already is- a Museum there must be lots of old fire engines and related paraphernalia that could be exhibited in this wonderful old building- but there again I suppose the big bucks boys will already have their fingers in the pie.
 
What fabulous pictures of the fire station. I thought that Birmingham had come to it's senses about pulling history down...let's face it they have done enough. I am devastated to think that they could look at all that and destroy it...are they blind, stupid or what? Has no one put forward a petition? I despair, what more can I say...heartbroken:cry:
 
I found this news release from 2007 on the Skyscraper City web site.
Skyscraper planned for historic fire station

May 11 2007

By Paul Dale, Public Affairs Editor

Moves to build a 25-storey tower block of flats and offices in the middle of the West Midlands fire brigade's historic Lancaster Circus headquarters have been slammed by a leading Birmingham conservation group.

The Civic Society wants council planners to reject the scheme, which it says would ruin the Grade ll listed fire HQ.

If the fire authority gets its way, the entire site will be sold for redevelopment with the existing landmark 1930s building to remain intact but with the addition of a soaring glass-fronted skyscraper to be built in the internal courtyard.

The idea was blasted by Civic Society vice-chairman Glyn Pitchford, who said Lancaster Circus was a "most inappropriate location" for a tall building.

Mr Pitchford added: "What's being proposed is that they go as tall as they can, but I hope common sense will prevail. Lancaster Circus is a listed building and I can't see how a modern tower could be built in the courtyard."

The Civic Society has in the past expressed concern about the council's rush to embrace new tall buildings in Birmingham city centre, warning that sites must be chosen carefully in order to blend in with the surroundings. Plans floated four years ago for several tall buildings in Paradise Circus were dropped by the council following Civic Society objections that the new structures would overwhelm the Town Hall and Council House.

The Society is also concerned about plans to replace the NatWest Tower in the Colmore Row Conservation Area with a new tower that would be significantly taller than the existing building.

The fire authority announced in 2005 that it planned to sell its HQ for about £3 million and use the money to help pay for new offices near Wolverhampton. But the Lancaster Circus premises have been granted listed building status since then, making it more difficult to redevelop the existing structure.

Ken Hardeman, council cabinet regeneration member, said the Lancaster Circus courtyard could provide interesting development opportunities but a decision about whether the location would be suitable for a tall building was an issue for the city planning committee.

Coun Hardeman (Con Brandwood) added: "I am not going to rule out any possibility that would enhance this city's ability to attract investment. As long as it is a quality building and of a sustainable nature, I will support it.

"There will be constraints as to what can and cannot be done, but there is a very large space in the middle of this building.

Aston University, which adjoins the fire HQ, has expressed an interest in acquiring the building.

Mr Pitchford, who also sits on the university council, said that up to 3,000 new student flats were planned over the next few years and he questioned whether there would be enough demand for tower-block accommodation on the Lancaster Circus site. A West Midlands Fire Authority spokesman said discussions about Lancaster Circus were at an early stage.

No planning application has been lodged with the council, although discussions about the possibility of a tower have been taking place.

The spokesman added: "There are no fixed ideas yet about the nature of the tower. It will be down to the developer and Birmingham City Council planning department to consider the matter."

Tall buildings are being encouraged by the council in an attempt to produce a more dramatic Birmingham skyline.

The Civic Society has been consulted about potentially controversial proposals to demolish the NatWest Tower in Colmore Row and build a new, taller, skyscraper.

British Land, the owners of the site, has appointed London architects Hamiltons to come up with possible designs.

The project is in the hands of John Silver, who was responsible for delivering the soaring Commerzbank HQ in Frankfurt and the Cambridge University Law Library.

Mr Pitchford said the NatWest Tower was one of the "ugliest buildings" in Birmingham, but the council had to take great care not to replace it with something equally unacceptable.

The Civic Society would like the new tower set back so that it did not overpower adjacent Regency buildings. __________________

Skyscraper City site likes...well...Skyscapers but there is an interesting l4 page thread about this site. Here is another article also: Birmingham’s historic Central Fire Station has been sold to developer Watkin Jones for an undisclosed sum.
The landmark Fire Station, at Lancaster Circus, was put up to sale last year by the West Midlands Fire Service and Rescue Authority as the premises, which date back to the 1930’s, is no longer suitable for their evolved working practices.
Selling agent CB Richard Ellis received numerous offers for the site. This was subsequently sold unconditionally to Watkin Jones who are currently working up a suitable mixed use scheme. Likely uses will include residential, a hotel and student housing.
The Fire Station sits on a 1.7 acre triangular site. The man buildings provide 12,077 sq m (130,000 sq ft) of space and are set around a central courtyard.
Watkin Jones aims to submit a planning application for the site in early in 2008 https://www.propnews.co.uk/editorial/...vmt191107.html

No date but must be late 2007.

There are some supporters of saving the building on the Skyscraper City site but I doubt if any of them have seen the inside photos as we on this site have.
 
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