PLANS to build a new fire station in Theale have been approved meaning building work can start in the spring. 

The fire station, which will be shared by police officers and paramedics too, is scheduled to open in spring 2022. It will be built off Wigmore Lane, south of the A340 roundabout, on land bought from Network Rail. 

The plans for the full-time station were approved by councillors on the management committee of the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority, who have budgeted £6.2 million for the project. 

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Councillor Colin Dudley, chairman of the fire authority, said: “We’re delighted that plans for Theale community fire station have been given the green light. 

“The new station will provide a facility from which all three emergency services will respond to the communities they serve. This will strengthen our partnership working and reflects the fire authority’s commitment to further collaboration with our Thames Valley partners.”

The station will be shared by the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Thames Valley Police and South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS). Firefighters and police officers will be based on site, while paramedics will be able to use the facilities there while on standby. 

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Fire engines will be able to respond quicker to emergencies in Calcot, Thatcham, and Theale, and will also benefit from being near the M4 and A4. 

Local community groups will also be able to use the station, as a meeting room is included in the building plans. 

Anthony Stansfeld, police and crime commissioner for the Thames Valley, said: “This efficient further collaboration of blue light services in Theale will not only save money but increase operational effectiveness for the communities in the area.”

Paul Kempster, chief operating officer of SCAS, said: “Our three services have a long history of close partnership working and the new facilities will ensure that at a local level in Theale and the surrounding areas, there will be even more opportunities to use our collective skills and experience to create a safer and more resilient community.”

Elsewhere, Crowthorne fire station is being rebuilt and should be finished summer next year. The project is budgeted to cost £1,975,000 and firefighters are temporarily based in the nearby Wellington College. 

Also, two part-time fire stations are due to close soon: Wargrave and Pangbourne. The fire authority will decide whether to close Wargrave next summer, and Pangbourne will close after the new station at Theale is open.