Despite backing a campaign to save Windsor's fire station Queen will have to witness it being razed for luxury flats
Despite backing a campaign to save Windsor's fire station Queen will have to witness it being razed for luxury flats
- Windsor's fire station to be sold and turned into luxurious housing
- Developers were 'inundated' with emails from interested buyers after initial advert for the project was published
- Royal Berkshire Fire Service to make over £4million in the sale
- Queen backed campaign to save station, which is half a mile from castle
Plans to sell Windsor's fire station for housing are now going ahead with an initial advert attracting overwhelming interest.
The current fire station on St Mark's Road, half a mile from the castle, is being replaced by one two-and-a-half miles away, on the western edge of the town.
Henry Swailes, development surveyor at Kemp and Kemp estate agents who is handling the sale, says: 'It's going to be a very popular site, in a central residential location less than a mile from both the town's rail stations.
The Windsor Castle fire in November 1992. Royal Berkshire Fire Service stands to make more than £4million in the sale of Windsor fire station
The Windsor Castle fire in November 1992. Royal Berkshire Fire Service stands to make more than £4million in the sale of Windsor fire station
'We have been inundated with emails since the advert was published.
'A price hasn't been set but we would expect it to be at least £4.5 million. Unconditional bids' are being sought from interested parties.'
Royal Berkshire Fire Service stands to make more than £4m as the new station will cost £400,000 to build and the land is being given by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
The Queen is understood to have sent letters of support to a campaign against the sale of the fire station
The Queen is understood to have sent letters of support to a campaign against the sale of the fire station
Initially, there were plans to remove the town's fire station entirely or reduce cover to 12 hours each day due to budget cuts.
But Royal Berkshire Fire Service backed down after an outcry from celebrities including Sir Michael Parkinson, Sir Elton John and golfer Nick Faldo and legal action by the local council.
Campaigners had the apparent backing of the Royal Family despite its usual refusal to get involved in political controversy.
The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of York sent letters of support.
The fire service says the location of the new station, which will have one engine and be staffed 24 hours, 'will not affect attendance times' to the castle, which suffered £40 million of damage in 1992 after a devastating blaze.
'We have a target time of 10 minutes for the first pump to attend a fire and 12 minutes for a second.
'The new location would still allow us to meet the target,' a spokeswoman says.
Mr Swailes says the land could be redeveloped for up to 12 houses or 20 flats.
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