DARLINGTON fire station is almost completed and a provisional move-in date has been set with operations commencing straight away.
Work to rebuild the 50-year-old station began in February last year with the removal of asbestos from the building.
The demolition of the building began in early April, however work on the new station had to be paused due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The demolition of the old station was virtually completed at the beginning of May and work could start on the new station.
As of now, internal decoration is ongoing, flooring and carpets are being laid, fixtures and fittings being installed and furniture and gym equipment will be installed in February.
Special equipment is set to be installed by February 22 and staff are set to move in- and commence operations.
A spokeswoman for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Externally, the building is complete. Car parks are laid, footpaths are formed and being constructed.
"Some plans have been delayed due to Covid but will not affect the move-in date or operational Capability.
"Once we're in, the former workshops building and training tower will be demolished with the new yard being poured and a new, secure, entrance being formed."
Initially it was hoped that the fire service would move back in before Christmas, but due to Coronavirus delays this couldn't happen.
During the construction of the new station, crews and fire appliances were housed within temporary accommodation at the back of the site, while the North East Ambulance Service, which was also based there, had moved to Darlington Memorial Hospital.
The service was confident that the this accommodation would provide the workforce with adequate facilities for the duration of the build.
The old station was built in 1972 and was last refurbished in 2009, but a decision was made to demolish the building as work needed to bring it up to standard was expensive and problematic.
Final completion for the building is set for April 12 when the contractor will leave site.
Work was expected to begin in 2019, but delays lengthened the process.
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