Island fire station set for rebuild

A fire station forced to close due to structural problems is set to be rebuilt.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said in May it was unable to operate from the East Cowes station on the Isle of Wight due to health and safety concerns.

The county's fire and rescue authority has approved funding for a new station, including a purpose-built vehicle maintenance facility.

The authority said the new station would offer a "much-improved standard of facilities".

Following the discovery of structural problems at the East Cowes station, which had suffered with subsidence, its fire engine was relocated to Newport.

To maintain cover the on-call crew has been travelling about six miles (10km) to Newport to collect their fire engine and attend incidents.

Demolition of the building off the A3021 in East Cowes was set to begin on Monday.

It is hoped a planning application will be ready to submit early next year.

The amount of funding allocated to the project has not yet been revealed.

The authority also said it would move the HIWFRS Island Fleet and Equipment Maintenance Centre, currently located in Newport, to the new facility in East Cowes.

Four new light fleet vehicles and two new fire appliances have been allocated to the island over the past two years.

The authority's Isle of Wight member Karen Lucioni said the decision was a "clear commitment" to East Cowes.

"This investment will not only see the return of operational fire crews to the town but will also make best use of the site with the addition of much-needed vehicle maintenance facilities."

The authority said it was still attempting to find a temporary site in East Cowes to locate its fire engine while planning and construction processes take place.

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