Fire Service Museum Funding

Plans to redevelop Rochdale’s Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum are moving ahead as the National Lottery has now approved a £1.7m grant to transform the space.

The success of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) bid, means the museum, which is currently located in a workshop in the grounds of Rochdale’s old fire station in Maclure Road, can now move into the fire station itself, a 1930s art deco building, which will be restored and turned into a major visitor attraction.

The proposals include an exhibition space, new café and education centre with the council also looking to create office space in the building to support small businesses, in a move which could create 100 jobs and be worth £40m to the local economy over the next ten years.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “I’m very pleased to support the development of this fantastic project in Rochdale. The revitalised Rochdale Fire Station will breathe new life into this important town centre gateway and be a catalyst, along with other projects like the Heritage Action Zone, for the borough’s on-going regeneration and development.”