New fire station to be built in Bishop's Waltham as part of a £27m scheme

Plans to demolish the existing facility in Lower Lane and replace it with a new station and training tower have now been approved by Winchester City Council.

Firefighters will move into a temporary home at a nearby industrial estate while work is underway, meaning there will be no disruption.

Chairman of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor Rhydian Vaughan, said: ‘I am delighted that plans for building a new fire station in Bishop’s Waltham can move forward.

‘This is great news for the local community and our firefighters.’

According to the authority the new station will provide better working and training facilities for firefighters, plus dedicated facilities for community engagement.

It comes as part of a wider £27m investment in Hampshire that includes building new stations in Redbridge, in Southampton, and Cosham, in Portsmouth, for which planning applications have yet to be submitted.

Alan Smedley, programme lead for Morgan Sindall Construction which will be leading on the work, added: ‘We are delighted to be working in partnership with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service on their station investment programme.

‘Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service are investing significantly into modernising facilities to reflect the ever-changing requirements of the fire service and the thriving communities they serve.

‘We are extremely excited to begin work on the new fire station and training area in Bishop’s Waltham, and to collaborate with local residents and community groups to deliver a positive social and economic legacy for the area.’

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Demolition of the existing fire station is scheduled to start in early 2022 with building work to begin a short while later.

In Cosham it is planned existing fire station in Wayte Street will be relocated to a larger site in Northern Road, formerly used by Portsmouth Craft and Manufacturing Industries (PCMI), to improve space and facilities for a training base in the east of the county. Frontline teams will continue to operate from the existing site until construction is completed.

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