A new fire station will soon be built in East Cowes, with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service submitting plans for a modern facility to replace the station that was demolished last year.
The planning application, lodged with the Isle of Wight Council, proposes a new station that will house both a Response Unit and the Island’s Fleet Maintenance Centre (FMC). The facility is set to deliver critical fire cover to the northeast of the Isle of Wight and support the servicing of emergency vehicles across the Island.
The original East Cowes fire station, constructed in the 1960s, was closed 12 months ago and demolished back in September. It had become structurally unsafe, was no longer economically viable to repair, and contained asbestos. The closure prompted concern locally, with residents and councillors raising questions over the future of fire cover in the area.
The site now sits empty, with the nearest fire engine coming from Newport – 5 miles away.
Plans reveal that East Cowes will become a single appliance station, with the Incident Support Unit – formerly the Foam Salvage Tender – no longer forming part of the station’s response capability. A light rescue pump will be housed to provide fire cover in the town, crewed by a team of 12 retained firefighters.
The design of the new station includes a rectangular layout with a hipped roof. The fire appliance will be located near the site entrance to enable quick deployment during emergencies. Inside, it will be equipped with facilities such as a shower, toilet, welfare bag storage and a PPE kit room to support frontline staff.
Dean Haward, Isle of Wight group manager for HIWFRS said:
“The fire service is committed to returning the East Cowes crews to their base in the town.
“Thanks to the support of our Fire Authority and the work of our Estates team, who have worked closely with our Isle of Wight Council partners, we are making great progress to doing just that.
“Our on-call teams, not just in East Cowes, but across the island and wider Service, are valued members of their communities, showing incredible dedication to protect the local areas in which they live and work.
“We truly value them for sacrificing their time to make life safer in our community.”
The new Fleet Maintenance Centre – manned by a team of 3 mechanics – is designed to replace the existing setup at Newport Fire Station, which is also a 1960s-era building and has reached the end of its usable life. The Newport centre has required increasing investment in building repairs and is no longer fit for purpose.
At East Cowes, the FMC will be equipped to service both a fire engine and a smaller vehicle at the same time. Internally, it will include kit storage rooms, a cleaner’s room, showers, toilets, lockers, a plant room, a staff mess area, and dedicated office space. The new facility will support the maintenance of some 44 vehicles across the Isle of Wight.
Public consultation on the application will close on 16th June. A decision on the planning application is expected on 9th July.
I’m not so sure the phrase “soon be built” is quite right. We are still looking at well over a year before it’s operational – leaving East Cowes and Whippingham still at risk from an unacceptable delay in a response coming from either Newport or Ryde….. as long as they aren’t committed elsewhere.
Sometimes it’s better sticking with what
one has, than change.
The chain Ferry is an example of that!