The 50-year-old station has closed and crews have moved to a temporary base while a replacement is built over the next 15 to 18 months.
Work has begun to demolish and rebuild Liberton Community Fire Station in Edinburgh as part of an estimated £10 million project.
The replacement will be the first new fire station built in Edinburgh for more than 30 years and the first anywhere in Scotland since the creation of the national Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in 2013.
The existing station has now closed. Its appliance and crew have moved to a temporary facility on Alnwickhill Road, supported by neighbouring stations including Newcraighall. Residents in the area have been told to expect more fire appliance movements during construction.
The rebuild is expected to take between 15 and 18 months.
Liberton remains an important location for emergency response across Edinburgh and the east of Scotland. SFRS said national modelling carried out during its Service Delivery Review confirmed the station’s strategic role.
The project is part of a wider programme to deal with fire stations affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, known as RAAC.
RAAC was widely used in public buildings during the second half of the 20th century. It is lighter than conventional concrete but can deteriorate with age, particularly where moisture or corrosion is present.
SFRS has already completed repair and upgrade work at Galashiels. Work is also planned at Livingston and Dalkeith, while stations at Cumbernauld, Hawick, Helensburgh, Milngavie and Tranent are due to be repaired or rebuilt.
The new Liberton station will include improved welfare facilities, a larger community space and dedicated areas for handling contaminated firefighting clothing and equipment.
These facilities are intended to reduce the risk of smoke, soot and other harmful residues being carried into clean areas of the station.
Area Commander David Dourley, the SFRS local senior officer for Edinburgh, said the project would improve both service delivery and firefighter safety.
“This is an exciting project and represents a significant investment to improve service delivery and firefighter safety,” he said.
“This will be the first new-build station in Edinburgh in more than 30 years, directly replacing the former station that has faithfully served our staff and the community for 50 years.”
He said the replacement had been designed to meet operational demand and the changing needs of the surrounding communities.
The investment is welcome, but the £10 million figure remains an estimate. SFRS has not yet published a full breakdown of demolition, construction and contingency costs.
The temporary move also raises a practical question over response times while the work is under way. SFRS says emergency cover will be maintained, but the effect of the relocation should be tested against actual response data once the temporary arrangement is operating.
Liberton is one of several stations requiring major work, and the project highlights the wider condition of the fire service estate.
The new station should leave south Edinburgh with safer and more suitable facilities. The broader issue is whether the remaining RAAC-affected stations can be repaired or replaced at the same pace.
