Keeping Blue Lights On: Delivering Modernisation of Elm Lane Fire Station While Maintaining Emergency Response
Elm Lane Fire Station in Sheffield, South Yorkshire has served its community for more than 50 years, providing a vital emergency response function from its base at Sheffield Lane Top. Like many fire service buildings of its era, the station has reached a point where it no longer meets the operational, environmental and welfare expectations of a modern fire and rescue service. At the same time, its role as a frontline emergency response facility means any investment must be delivered without interruption to service.
South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) is now delivering a comprehensive refurbishment of the station, ensuring it is fit for the future, while maintaining uninterrupted emergency cover throughout the construction period.
A Strategic Shift: From New Build to Refurbishment
The original ambition for Elm Lane was the delivery of a new-build modular fire station. Early designs reflected a long-term vision for a highly efficient, sustainable facility designed around modern firefighting practices and community engagement.
However, by 2024, the project encountered a significant challenge. Construction costs had increased by approximately 188%, making the new-build option financially unviable within available budgets.
Rather than delay investment in a critical operational asset, a strategic decision was taken to pivot towards a “back-to-brick” refurbishment. This approach retains the existing structure while enabling a full internal reconfiguration and targeted extensions to meet current and future requirements.
This shift reflects a key estates principle: balancing ambition with deliverability, while ensuring public funds are used responsibly and effectively.
Maintaining Operational Continuity
A central requirement of the project has been maintaining uninterrupted emergency response capability.
To facilitate the refurbishment, Elm Lane wholetime crews relocated in March 2026 to a temporary station, still within Elm Lane’s station area, at Building 183 on the Northern General Hospital site, Longley Lane. This move followed planning approval and close collaboration with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The temporary facility has been configured to provide functional accommodation for operational crews, alongside a purpose-built appliance bay structure to protect fire engines and ensure operational readiness.
The site is expected to be in use for approximately 12 months, with contingency arrangements allowing for an extended duration if required.
From an operational perspective, the transition has been successful. Crews continue to respond to incidents without disruption, demonstrating the importance of early planning and cross-organizational collaboration in estates decant strategies
“By working closely with crews and partners, we were able to establish a temporary base which ensures we can continue responding to fire calls without disruption while we modernise Elm Lane for the long term.”
Simon Dunker, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue
Scope and Design of the Refurbishment
The Elm Lane refurbishment project is a significant intervention rather than a cosmetic upgrade. The building will be stripped back to its core structure, enabling a fundamental redesign of both internal and external spaces. The fire station is designed to achieve a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating, demonstrating a strong commitment to environmental performance.
Key elements of the scheme include:
- Reconfigured internal layouts to improve operational flow and response times
- Enhanced training facilities aligned to contemporary risk profiles
- Improved welfare provision, supporting inclusivity and firefighter wellbeing
- New community-facing spaces to strengthen local engagement
- Sustainability measures, including energy-efficient systems and materials
- Removal of asbestos and resolution of legacy building issues
In addition, extensions to the side and rear of the building will increase usable space and allow for more effective zoning of operational and corporate functions.
This approach ensures that the refurbished station will meet modern standards while maximising the value of the existing asset.
Project Delivery and Timeline
Following a robust tender process, O&P Construction was appointed as the main contractor, with Black Cat Building Consultancy providing project management services to ensure effective governance, cost control and programme oversight.
Key Milestones include:
- 2024: New-build scheme paused due to cost escalation
- Early 2025: Refurbishment design developed and planning prepared
- Summer 2025: Planning approval secured
- Late 2025: Additional funding approved and contract awarded
- March 2026: Operational decant completed, site handover and construction commenced
The construction phase is expected to last approximately ten months, with completion anticipated by late 2026.
While the programme has evolved, the current approach reflects a deliverable and well-managed solution, balancing urgency with quality and risk management.
“Black Cat has worked closely with South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue at Elm Lane for a number of years, providing multidisciplinary services including project management and design. While a modular new‑build option was explored, detailed assessment showed that a refurbished, extended and remodelled station could meet the needs of a modern fire service in a more cost‑effective and sustainable way. Retaining much of the existing sound structure reduces waste and material use and, with enhanced thermal performance and efficient mechanical and electrical systems, the refurbished station will achieve a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating.”
James Dyson, Director, Black Cat Building Consultancy
Stakeholder Engagement and Community Impact
As a public-facing emergency service, maintaining transparency and engagement with local stakeholders has been a priority throughout the project.
Residents have been kept informed at key stages, from initial proposals for a new-build station through to revised refurbishment plans and temporary relocation arrangements.
While construction activity inevitably brings some disruption, steps have been taken to minimise impact through careful planning, clear communication and responsible site management.
Importantly, the project reinforces the station’s long-standing presence within the community, ensuring it continues to serve from Elm Lane for years to come.
Lessons for the Fire Estates Sector
The Elm Lane project highlights several key considerations for estates professionals across the fire sector:
- Adaptability is essential in response to market volatility
- Refurbishment can deliver outcomes comparable to new build
- Operational continuity must remain central to decision-making
- Engaging stakeholders, including operational crews, is essential for sustaining services
- Partnership working is critical to successful delivery
These lessons are increasingly relevant as fire and rescue services manage ageing estates within constrained financial environments.
Looking Forward
On completion, the refurbished Elm Lane Fire Station will provide a modern, efficient and sustainable environment that supports both operational effectiveness and community engagement.
For crews, this means improved facilities, better training environments and a station designed around their needs. For the public, it ensures a continued high standard of emergency response from a facility equipped for the future.
Conclusion
Elm Lane Fire Station represents more than an estates project; it is an investment in frontline service delivery.
By adopting a pragmatic and flexible approach, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has responded to financial challenges while still delivering meaningful improvements to a critical operational asset.
Throughout the process, maintaining emergency response has remained the defining priority. From a carefully planned temporary relocation to a structured and collaborative delivery model, the project demonstrates how estates strategy can directly support operational resilience.
As the refurbishment progresses, Elm Lane continues to serve, just from a different location. When crews return, they will do so to a station that reflects the demands of modern firefighting and the expectations of the communities they protect.
Gemma Bishop, Estates Project & Programme Manager, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue
Approaching five years’ experience at South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, I am an Estates Project & Programme Manager delivering capital projects to modernise and improve SYFR sites, aligned to CRMP, sustainability strategies, EDI principles, and contamination management.
For more information, please visit: South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue