Luton-based business helps refurbish first carbon neutral fire station

The project, commissioned by Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service and managed by Ingleton Wood, has transformed the site with a host of sustainability measures including heat pumps, solar panels, upgraded thermal efficiencies and electric vehicle charging bays. The refurbishment also extended and reconfigured the building, providing new offices, welfare facilities, a purpose-built gym, enhanced meeting spaces, and additional on-site parking.

Despite the scale of works, the fire station remained fully operational throughout construction, ensuring service and response times were never affected.

Councillor Chris Morris, Chair of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority, said: “I am delighted to see the improvements made to the station. It is important that we ensure our firefighters have the best possible facilities, and the improvements made here certainly reflect that.

It is also crucial that we are future-proofing our stations from a sustainability perspective and reducing the impact we have on the environment. The upgrades made here demonstrate we are making strides on our journey to being as energy efficient as possible.”

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Stuart Smith added: “We are really excited by this renovation and the facilities it brings to our firefighters, improving the provision for the future for St Neots and the wider county. It helps us ensure we are keeping up with the growth and development we continue to see across our county in a sustainable way.

“We are grateful for the positive collaboration with Neville Special Projects and Ingleton Wood, which allowed the crews to remain at the station to be able to respond to emergencies during the renovation.”

The renovation project cost around £2 million, with £700,000 coming from a grant from Huntingdonshire District Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy.

Ben Knight, Construction Director at Neville Special Projects, commented: "This project has been a great undertaking for our team and we’re incredibly pleased with the outcome. Across the refurbishment we supported more than 50 highly skilled contractors, and from start to finish the teams worked collaboratively to deliver an excellent facility.

We’re proud to have delivered a station that is net zero focused and a real asset to the community. We look forward to seeing the positive, long-term impact this project will have – creating an efficient, sustainable environment for the fire service and a welcoming space for the people of St Neots.”

Simon Chesworth, Associate Project Manager at Ingleton Wood, added: “Delivering a major refurbishment on a live emergency site is never without its challenges, but thanks to close coordination with the wider team, we developed a carefully phased approach that kept the station fully operational throughout. Service and response times were never compromised, and it was a credit to everyone involved who rose to the challenge on their first fire station project. Well done to all involved.”

Many of the crew at St Neots are on-call firefighters, who respond to emergencies in the area around their other life commitments. On-call firefighters are not based at a fire station all the time, they will often have other jobs or family duties, carrying a small pager and responding to emergency incidents as and when they happen. When they are on-call they may be at home, working for themselves or for a nearby company, or out in their local community (staying within a five-minute travel time of the fire station).

The project coincides with the Neville Trust Group of Companies’ 150th anniversary, marking a significant milestone for the family-run business founded in 1875 by Thomas and Edward Neville. Neville Special Projects continues to deliver high-quality construction, installation, and refurbishment services across both the private and public sectors.

St Neots Fire Station officially reopened on Monday 8 September 2025, reaffirming its role as a vital emergency service hub – and now also a model of sustainability for the future.

For more information about Neville Special Projects, visit www.nevillespecialprojects.co.uk.