Rochdale’s fire service museum could be renovated and almost quadruple in size after the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) approved a 1st stage bid by the council and the Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum Trust.
The success means the council and trust are one step closer to securing the £1.7M, which will help create a new tourist attraction in Rochdale and boost the borough’s already strong cultural heritage.

It will also ensure a long-term future for the museum, which is in the grounds of the former Rochdale fire station.

The council will now buy the building in Maclure Road, securing its future and strengthening the bid in readiness for stage 2. If the 2nd stage is successful, the council will rent the building to the trust which runs the museum.

Councillor Richard Farnell, Leader of the council, said: “It’s great to hear we’ve got through this crucial first step. If our final stage bid is successful, the hard working volunteers who run the museum can unlock its great potential and offer visitors an even better experience. It will also complement the other great cultural destinations close by, including Touchstones Rochdale, Rochdale Town Hall and the Pioneers Museum.”

The fire station was built in 1933 in the art deco style. The current museum, which features old fire engines and an old fire station complete with horse drawn steam pump, opened in 1983 and has a Quality Assured Visitor Attraction (VAQAS) accreditation.

Under the plans, the ground floor of the old fire station would be renovated and adapted, enabling the museum to extend into this area from its current location in a former workshop block on the same site, increasing its floor space from around 300 to over 1,000 square metres.

The move would enable the museum to display significantly more exhibits and would allow for new interactive displays, as well as the creation of a cafe and dedicated education space.

The changes would also allow the museum, which currently only opens on Fridays and the first Sunday of every month, to open 6 days a week, in a move that is expected to help boost visitor numbers from their current 4,200 a year to 15,000.

The appointment of a development coordinator to create a rolling programme of community engagement activities is also part of the proposal.

Museum Curator, Bob Bonner, said: “This is the best news we could have been given. The museum’s accommodation has been in doubt ever since the fire station was put on sale some years ago but now looks a lot more secure. With this very welcome first-round grant from HLF, and the fantastic support of the council, our long-planned project to set up a new museum in this wonderful building has taken a major step forward; we are determined to see this through to completion. ” 

Councillor David Acton, Chair of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “This is excellent news and gives the green light for Rochdale Council to purchase the former borough fire station in the town centre from the Fire Authority to develop a fantastic museum which honours the history of our organisation and everyone who has been a part of our fantastic story for centuries. There is a real opportunity now to further regenerate this area and I believe the museum will become a huge attraction for the people of Greater Manchester and beyond.”

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