Firefighters To Move To Temporary Home In New Industrial Unit

Firefighters will move into a new industrial unit in Bishop’s Waltham while a new fire station is built on an existing site nearby.

The industrial unit being used by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) is one of three recently completed in Lower Lane.

The new development of industrial units saw the demolition of the warehouses, which dated from the 1950s. Work began in 2020 and was completed last month.

The £1.5 million investment made by the council into the new buildings includes 78 roof-mounted photovoltaic panels to ensure a high standard of sustainability performance, as well as three electric vehicle charging points and the installation of a low-energy LED lighting system.

Cllr Kelsie Learney, Winchester City Council Cabinet Member for Housing and Asset Management, said: “I am pleased that the development in Bishop’s Waltham is now complete and that our first lease is to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service.

“The new industrial units have been designed to support businesses in the southern parishes of the district, providing high quality, energy-efficient, light industrial accommodation in the popular market town. It is hoped that the new units will bolster the development of local companies who wish to expand.”

Arron Hedges, Head of Properties and Facilities at HIWFRS, said: “We are looking forward to moving into our temporary new home when work gets underway to create a new and improved fire station in Bishop’s Waltham.”