Joe Robertson MP has called on Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service to retain Bembridge Fire Station, rather than place it up for sale.
Mr Robertson wrote to the service earlier this month following consultation with local residents and the Bembridge Parish Council.
Although the station currently has no crewed fire appliance due to recruitment challenges, it provides a site for the local Village Emergency and Resilience Group to train volunteers, store equipment and respond to local emergencies such as flooding.
If the fire station cannot be returned to full operational status, as is to be decided tonight (Friday), Mr Robertson is making a strong case for it to remain under the ownership of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue and made available for alternative community uses.
The Fire Brigade’s Union (FBU) is urging Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire Authority to defer £1.6million of proposed frontline cuts to the fire service – including the closure of Bembridge – at tonight’s meeting.
A decision has not yet been made, or even scheduled to be discussed, as to whether or not the station and its land will be sold off.
Mr Robertson, Isle of Wight East MP, has said:
“While I recognise the operational difficulties in keeping the fire station running without active personnel, that should not mean the building is lost to the community. It would be a great shame for the premises to be disposed of rather than repurposed for local use. If it is sold off, this prime village site will be lost forever and may end up being used for housing. With planning permission already given for nearly 200 more homes in Bembridge that is the last thing the Village needs.”
Mr Robertson has been working closely with the Bembridge Parish Council, which has also asked that the fire station be retained for community purposes.
Chairman Councillor Martin Groom has said:
“We would prefer the building to be retained as a community asset. As a parish council, we would be willing to explore options to take on a caretaker role and operate our village emergency response team from the site. Losing the station entirely would be a major blow to the local community.”
Why not sell it off, Sandown and Ryde stations are
close by.
Don’t sell your assets, once they have gone, you can never go back.
in todays wild fires and flooding there is a need for trained volunteers and some where to store equipment to make it possible for them to help locals.