Residents have their say on proposed 'Tri-Station' planned to replace Hebburn Fire Station

The station in Campbell Park Road – which would put fire, police and ambulance services under one roof – has been proposed to replace the existing fire station in Hebburn Road West.

Estimated cost is £5.25million, although that figure was produced in 2015. It would be funded by the fire authority, with police and ambulance services paying rent.

Residents met representatives of all three services, viewing plans and a virtual reality video at Lukes Lane Community Centre, and a further consultation session will take place from 6pm to 8pm on Wednesday, September 1.

The new state-of-the-art facility will be known simply as Hebburn Tri-Station. Planning application will be submitted in September and the aim is to open by the summer of 2023.

The architects and designers are from Sunderland City Council. The building is carbon neutral, with solar roof panelling and ground source heat pumps.

There could also be community elements, with plans for football playing fields supported by South Tyneside Council. This is subject to a pre-application review by Sport England.

Tyne & Wear Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer, Chris Lowther, said: “Hebburn Tri-Station will be an essential resource for the residents of Hebburn and also for local communities in the surrounding areas of Tyne and Wear.

“The North East is proud to have some of the finest highly skilled and respected emergency service personnel and facilities in the country, and Hebburn Tri-Station would be an impressive addition to those community assets.

“The new station would become one of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service’s largest capital programme projects in recent years, and shows our commitment to providing facilities that help protect local residents and keep them safe from harm.”

A North East Ambulance spokesperson, said: “Close working with our emergency service partners has proven to be really effective elsewhere in the region and we relish exploring opportunities to do so here.”

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “We have a number of successful collaboration initiatives with our blue light partners as part of our commitment to deliver the very best service possible to the communities we are proud to be a part of here in the North East.”

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “This is a forward-thinking set-up and the station will be a very important part of the local community. Our services already work very closely and being under one roof will bring many positives.”

However, some residents are concerned about possible traffic problems.

Ann Dowling of Southend Parade said: “I like the idea of the three going into one, but I don’t agree with there being no traffic lights. There’s a lot of children on our estate going down that road. That’s my concern. They’ve said they’ll look into it.”

Linda Hay of High Back Road said: “I think it’s an excellent idea. But I don’t think its location is appropriate because of the ingress and egress. At the moment it doesn’t impinge on us, but people who live in Luke’s Lane.

“You’ve got a brand new housing estate, which is the main road. There are already issues with traffic and they’ve got a 20mph restriction. I personally don’t think they have the infrastructure.

Support your Gazette and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our news and sport, see fewer ads, experience faster load times, test your brain with daily puzzles and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. The Shields Gazette has been on South Tyneside since 1849, and your support means we can continue telling your stories for generations to come. Click here to subscribe.