A SECOND fire station in Rugby has been proposed to help cope with the town’s rising population.
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service (WFRS) wants to build the new station on Symmetry Park, north of the A45/M45 roundabout and adjacent to the B4429 Coventry Road.
The service says proposed development in the south west area of the town – including a 5,000-home urban extension included in Rugby Borough Council’s Local Plan – would “increase both the population and geographical area we serve,” resulting in “a decline in performance”.
A spokesperson said: “The additional homes within the new development are likely to lead to increased response times for up to 5,000 homes and the road network in the vicinity.
“The development of the south west Rugby area will also see additional traffic on the road network. This would further slow the response of our fire engines at peak times from the Corporation Street fire station, which is located at the northern side of the town centre.
“A Rugby South fire station will allow us to relocate one of our fire appliances and crew from the Corporation Street fire station to deal with the increased attendance time issue that will be created by the new development.”
They added the new station would allow WFRS to maintain its target of getting a fire engine to a life-threatening incident anywhere in the county within 10 minutes on 75 per cent of occasions.
WFRS’s long-term plan is to replace the Corporation Street station with another new facility to the north of the town, at a location yet to be determined.
The public have been invited to have their say on the proposed Symmetry Park station.
Visit www.tinyurl.com/y3fpfz4y for more information, and to take part in the consultation.
Alternatively, email [email protected] or write to Service Improvement Team, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Service Headquarters, Warwick Street, Leamington Spa, CV32 5LH.
After the consultation ends on June 16, a report will be considered by Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet in September.
If approved, the new station is scheduled to open in 2022.
