Proposals to build a brand new, dedicated space to house London Fire Brigade’s extensive collection of artefacts and memorabilia look set to secure its heritage.
The news follows the decision taken by members of London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority in July 2015 to make the provision of a new museum to replace the existing London Fire Brigade Museum, as well as a fire station, a condition of the sale and redevelopment of London Fire Brigade’s (LFB’s) old headquarters on Albert Embankment in Lambeth. The museum has been located on Southwark Bridge Road since 1966, but the current site is now to be sold as part of the redevelopment of the LFB’s Southwark Training Centre.
This development creates an opportunity to develop and expand the museum’s world class collection, which tells the story of firefighting from the Great Fire of London to the present day.
But there's better news still for school trip leaders. In 2014, the museum’s popularity saw more than 2,000 school pupils reluctantly turned away because of the current site’s limited capacity. This will now increase schools' ability to visit a more modern, flexible location for this highly praised Arts Council accredited museum, regularly described as one of the capital’s ‘hidden tourist gems’.
London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson said: “This decision is fantastic news, not only for LFB, but for anyone interested in the capital’s history... It secures the future of our extensive collection of artefacts and memorabilia for generations to come and provides us with an exciting opportunity to develop a state-of the art space to house it in...
‘Going back home to its original location at the listed former headquarters on Albert Embankment means the museum will be close to an operational fire station, helping maintain a clear link between the Brigade’s past and today’s modern fire service. It will also allow the Brigade to look at funding opportunities available for new museums with a permanent home, which have been unavailable before.'
The current museum will remain open until September 2015, after which the packing, storing and auditing of the museum’s contents will begin. It could take three to five years until a new museum opens, but plans are afoot to ensure that opportunities continue for viewing the historic collection. These include temporary exhibitions at various spaces across London, including fire stations and LFB headquarters; outreach visits; educational talks and lectures; events to commemorate next year’s LFB 150th anniversary celebrations; and plans to document the LFB’s museum collection online.
