Council expects work to start on new Kanturk fire station in 2018

COUNTY councillors have given their stamp of approval to a planning application for the long-awaited new fire station in Kanturk.

The project, which has been included in the government’s capital spending plan, will now move forward to the design and tender stage with work set to get underway next year.

The Part 8 planning application makes provision for a two-vehicle fire station on a 1.4 acre site at the Mill Road junction on Percival Street, which the council purchased nine-years-ago for a figure believed to be in the region of €1 million.

The application also provides for associated internal works including watch and assembly rooms, toilets/showers, workshop and muster bay and external facilities including a drill yard and 10 car-parking spaces.

Council architect Orla Higgins presented a detailed report on the fire station to councillors at the May Kanturk/Mallow district committee, seeking their approval to move forward with the planning process for the long-awaited facility.

“The upgrade we are proposing is for a new fire station capable of housing modern equipment, bringing the local service in line with modern standards and providing improve access and egress in emergencies,” said Ms Higgins.

As had been expected the report was given an enthusiastic welcome by councillors, with Cllr Bernard Moynihan (FF) asking when locals could “expect to see diggers on site”.

Ms Higgins said the council was in the process of putting together a “shovel ready” tender package and depending on final government funding approval the authority would hope to start construction work in 2018. She said the new first station would cost in the region of €1.3 million to build.

Cllr Timmy Collins (Ind) said the news would come as a welcome relief to the local community.

“The existing station is nothing more than a garage in which to park a fire engine. That’s about the size of it. In this day and age it is ridiculous that a town the size of Kanturk does not have a modern fire station,” he said.

Cllr John Paul O’Shea (Ind) agreed, saying the new station would be “a huge asset” to the town and the wider north Cork area. “This has been a long time coming,” he said. In reply to a question from Cllr Gerard Murphy (FG) Ms Higgins said that not all of the Percival Street would be taken up by the fire station and that some of it would be set aside for future community use.

The Part 8 planning application will now go before full council to be rubber stamped.