Plans to bulldoze Swadlincote Fire Station have taken a step forward as proposals for a temporary building have been submitted to make way a multi-million pound community hub.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service was given permission from South Derbyshire District Council's planning committee last year to demolish the existing 65-year-old station, in Civic Way, and build a community fire station in its place.

Now, proposals have been submitted to move the fire station to a temporary location at Unit 3C Boardman Industrial Estate, in Boardman Road, in the town, while work begins on the hub.

The new hub is expected to include provision for both community and youth engagement/cadet uses, including potential NHS use of the gym, with general station accommodation provisions to meet the requirements of a day crewing station. Discussions had also taken place with East Midlands Ambulance Service to make the hub its home.

The service also wants to bulldoze the existing training tower and build a smoke house, along with alterations to existing access, boundary treatments and reconfiguration of the service yard.

Swadlincote's new community hub

The plan was unveiled as the fire service sold its former firefighter homes behind the existing fire station for £875,000 which will help pay for the new hub. The homes were left empty after the number of full-time firefighters was cut, with the area offered additional support by retained, part-time firefighters instead.

The homes were sold to South Derbyshire District Council to add to its growing council house portfolio. It is not yet known what the cost of the hub could be but Burton has recently opened a similar service, costing £3.8 million. In a report to the council, Derbyshire fire service said the current fire station, built in 1952, was operating 'beyond the end of its functional design life'.

The report said: "The existing building is neither suitable nor sufficient to meet the needs of a modern fire and rescue station, with the partial refurbishment in 2010 only providing a stop gap solution.

The building presently does not comply with the Equality Act while the maintenance backlog for the site is estimated at around £400,000. The site remains the optimum location from which to respond and while a review of available sites within the Swadlincote area has been undertaken; no suitable alternatives have been found."

The new hub will accommodate four fire engines and all the support facilities for staff. The new building would also provide community facilities with an independent access and meeting room but also with access to the gym. While the number of car parking spaces will be increased from 18 to 36, the number of fire staff will remain the same with five full-time and 18 part time, the equivalent of 10 full-time members of staff.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service came under fire in 2014 after it cut the number of full-time firefighters in a bid to slash £4 million from its budget, after Swadlincote Fire Station was called out 'only' 300 times in 2014. The service said that proactive fire prevention such as smoke alarm tests had led to a reduction in need.

Looking for a job? There are thousands available at www.Fish4.co.uk