New Fire Station Plans A Victory For "Common Sense" Says East Cowes Councillor

Plans for a new fire station in East Cowes have been hailed as a “victory for safety in the making” and “common sense”.

East Cowes county councillor Karl Love welcomed Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service’s (HIWFRS) planning application for a replacement station on York Avenue which he said residents had “received positively”.

HIWFRS’s plans include a station with a Response Unit and Fleet Maintenance Facility, car parking provision and landscaping.

Cllr Love said:

"East Cowes simply cannot be without a fire and rescue station given our strategic location on a peninsula and with heavy engineering, shipbuilding and an important Island transportation gateway.

"We also have an active power station, a large residential population and marinas.

“Our Fire and Rescue authority eventually provided reassurances, but it was far from certain a station would be rebuilt.  

"I worked positively with the council cabinet member responsible, Cllr Karen Lucioni, and HIWFRS, reviewing the proposal prior to submitting and giving advice.

"East Cowes Town Council also expressed concerns and joined the commentary to rebuild the station.”

Cllr Love, who is also the chair of the Isle of Wight Council, thanked the crew of the East Cowes station for “staying strong, unified and loyal to their community”.

“It would have been so easy for them to walk away from the service and that would have made it so much harder to campaign to keep this station open for the safety of our towns people and the wider Island community,” he added.

A Design and Access Statement prepared by Boyle and Summers on behalf of HIWFRS said:

“Maintaining an operational fire station in East Cowes is essential, as it provides critical fire coverage to the northeast of the Isle of Wight, an area with significant marine, industrial, and heritage risks.

“The nearest alternative stations — Newport, Ryde, and Cowes — are over 15 minutes away, exceeding HIWFRS’s target response time of eight minutes.

“The previous fire station was structurally unsafe, beyond economic repair, and contained asbestos, necessitating complete demolition in September 2024.

“Likewise, the existing Fleet Maintenance Centre (FMC) at Newport Fire Station has reached the end of its economic life and requires significant investment for building fabric repairs.

“Therefore, the vacant site in East Cowes provided an opportunity to combine both facilities. The East Cowes site is ready for redevelopment.”