AFTER months of work, Basingstoke’s new £6 million fire station was officially opened today.

The service’s old station in West Ham Close was demolished in 2016, and after several hold-ups and delays and firefighters being crammed into a temporary building at the back of the fire station, Basingstoke firefighters now have a new home.

The bespoke station has increased vehicle capacity and improved access, enabling it to respond to incidents as quickly as possible. It also has enhanced training facilities.

Guests including the mayor and mayoress of Basingstoke and Deane, Basingstoke’s MP Maria Miller and leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Cllr Clive Sanders, were invited to witness the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire unveil a commemorative plaque.

At the ceremony, Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkins said: “Basingstoke’s station is one of Hampshire’s most important strategic facilities, providing backup all across Hampshire as well as keeping residents in Basingstoke safe.”

During the visit guests were shown a video highlighting the service’s heritage in the town and the new station’s diverse roles.

After the speeches, guests were then treated to a tour of the ultra-modern £6 million station, which is the first modern station to open in the county for seven years.

Station commander Keith Jones, said: “The facility is really bringing us into the 21st century.

“On site we have the latest in training facilities and as always, we hope to do a lot of community work and welcome people in to see exactly what we do.”

The station has 64 full-time firefighters, 18 on-call firefighters and four members of the community safety team.

It also has three fire engines, an aerial ladder platform, a response support vehicle, a command vehicle and a small fires vehicle.