THE fire station at Broadway is to be rebuilt to provide a new and up-to-date service for the town and surrounding area.

Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority has now confirmed that funding for the re-building of the station in the town's High Street.

All staff and equipment from the existing station will transfer to the new facility when it becomes operational.

Fire authority member Elizabeth Eyre said: “This is fantastic news for Broadway and is part of the fire authority’s investment in resilience planning for our more rural communities.

"The current fire station is now 55 years old and this is an opportunity to ensure it is fit for modern firefighting for the years to come, for the benefit of the residents of Broadway and its neighbours.”

Paul Tuthill, vice-chairman of the authority, said: "This is the latest in the upgrade of fire stations which started in Malvern and has now run to Worcester and Evesham; work has also just started on the new fire station at Kidderminster

"As a well-run public service, HWFRS regularly upgrades its appliances, equipment and control systems to provide staff with the equipment they deserve in carrying out this important service for the public."

Broadway Fire Station is crewed by 10 to 15 on-call firefighters and provides cover for an area of around 10 square miles, with almost 4,500 residents living in more than 2,200 properties.

Planning and design work is expected to start in 2019/20 and a schedule for the build project will be confirmed once tender processes are complete. The budget for the project will not be revealed until the tender process is complete."