A proposal to rebuild Elm Lane fire station is to be discussed by Fire Authority members.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue plans to replace the existing facility with a new building on the same site, in a construction project which could become a UK first.

The new ‘modular’ fire station would be constructed off-site in a move which could save both time and money.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Tony Carlin, said: “These plans form part of an ambitious programme to refurbish our property estate- giving our firefighters modern, safe and energy efficient fire stations in which to live and work. Modular construction methods have come on massively in recent years and we are excited to explore the potential for this new way of building fire stations to improve the efficiency of such projects.”

The current fire station on Elm Lane, Sheffield Lane Top was built in 1976, but is nearing the end of its operational life. Refurbishing the existing facility has been ruled out, due to the high cost of removing large amounts of suspected asbestos.

The project to rebuild the station will be discussed by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority members at their meeting on Monday (10 October).

The project is in the pre-planning phase, with any confirmed plans subject to the usual planning application process and consultation with local residents.