MAJOR building work to upgrade Basingstoke fire station is on track to be complete next year, according to the station manager.

Ian Wadmore has spoken to The Gazette as construction work to build the new £6 million facility has begun.

He said: “We are still at the early stages but the old building has been demolished and the groundwork is being done.

“The old station was built in 1966 so things were very different then in terms of requirements.”

Mr Wadmore said some of the site was contaminated with asbestos, but this has now been removed so the steel frame of one wing of the new facility could be constructed.

He added: “That’s just one wing of the station.

“There will also be an appliance wing with all our engines in and another wing on the other side.”

Concrete is being laid this week, and once this is complete the roof of the structure will be put on and the building will be made water tight.

It is hoped that the firefighters will be able to move into the new facility in February or March next year, after which it will take a few months for the project to be complete.

The crew is currently based in a temporary building at the back of the fire station, in West Ham Close, and some of the specialist appliances have been temporarily relocated elsewhere.

Mr Wadmore said: “There are no major delays and everything is going along swimmingly.”

The new station will accommodate improved modern living quarters, a training tower and a smoke training building.