Campaign to build new fire station launched

Luke Pollard and Gavin Ellis, chief fire officer at Devon and Somerset Fire Service, said the Devonport fire station was no longer 'fit for purpose'

A campaign has been launched to build a new fire station in Plymouth to replace a site described as "not fit for purpose".

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport Luke Pollard have called for a new site to be set up in Devonport.

Concerns have been raised about the state of Camels Head Fire Station, with firefighters saying the site has leaky roofs and windows, rodent problems, unsuitable accommodation and poles which were unusable.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it would work closely with fire services to ensure they had the resources they needed.

'Stand together'

Camels Head has in recent years been scaled back from having 16 to eight firefighters per watch and had its number of engines reduced from seven to four.

Gavin Ellis, the service's chief fire officer, said more than £750,000 had already been invested at Camels Head, but more work was needed.

He said: "We want to be able to do our jobs and do our jobs safely and effectively.

"We have been up until this point but it's getting to the point with the state of the station, it's really starting to affect us."

Pollard said the fire service deserved a "decent fire station to live and work from".

"The fire brigade have our back as a city, they protect us 24 hours a day," he said.

He added: "I want the city to stand together to make the case for the funding we need to provide a brand-new fire station for Devonport."

The government said the Devon and Somerset Fire Rescue Authority would receive £100.8m for 2025/26

The government said the Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue would receive £100.8m for 2025/26, which was a 2.6% increase on the previous financial year.

It added how the funding was spent would be a decision for each individual fire authority.

A spokesperson said: "We will continue to work closely with the sector to ensure Fire and Rescue Services have the resources they need."