Images released of new Hebburn 'Tri-Station' fire station as plans press ahead

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service has released images and more detailed plans of how the the proposed new ‘Tri-Station’ at Campbell Park Road in Hebburn will look, and is asking people for their views.

Fire chiefs said the people of Hebburn will have the opportunity to find out more information about the plans during a series of public engagement events.

The new facility will house three emergency services: the fire service, North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) and Northumbria Police.

The term Tri-Station means a collaborative facility supporting all three Blue Light Emergency Services, and operating their public services under the one roof.

The plans will be on display at two public engagement events being held at Lukes Lane Community Centre in Hebburn on Thursday, August 26 between 10am to 12noon, and Wednesday, September 1, between 6pm to 8pm.

Chief Fire Officer Chris Lowther of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, 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.

“I urge the people of Hebburn to attend one of the engagement events and talk to the project team about the proposed plans.”

People will be able to talk with representatives from the project team at the events, and ask any questions they might have about the Tri-Station.

There will also be a virtual reality video to give residents an idea of the building’s layout and design.

Chief Fire Officer Lowther said the new station will be designed as a carbon neutral building with energy sourced from solar roof panelling and ground source heat pumps, part of TWFRS’s commitment to a greener environment.

There are also ‘additional community elements’ to the proposal with the plans for football playing fields – supported by South Tyneside Council – for people living nearby to enjoy, subject to the outcome of applications being reviewed by Sport England.

A NEAS 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 spokesperson for Northumbria Police 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.”

The Hebburn Tri-Station project team is also working with the offices of Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Kim McGuinness.

“This is a forward-thinking set-up and the station will be a very important part of the local community,” said PCC McGuiness.

"Our services already work very closely and being under one roof will bring many positives. Everyone involved wants to make sure that local people benefit and get what they need out of the new arrangement and so it’s really important that people make the most of this opportunity to have their say.”

The architects and designers for the Hebburn Tri-Station scheme are from Sunderland City Council’s infrastructure and planning team.

The public engagement events are being held ahead of a formal planning application being submitted to South Tyneside Council for the Hebburn Tri-Station at the end of September 2021. It approved, it could be open by summer 2023.

The new tri-station is part of a wider programme for the proposed Campbell Park Road site as TWFRS is looking at the possibility of obtaining the adjacent site to the north of the new station to provide future resilience for the Fire Service’s current Training and Education Centre at Barmston Mere in Washington.

This indoor facility would enable TWFRS to undertake specialist training exercises all year round that are not possible due to adverse weather conditions.

Anyone who cannot attend the event can email any questions to [email protected] , and people can also use the email address if they have special requirements for any of the public engagement events.

The TWFRS said the public engagement team said it welcomes any comments, questions or feedback on the project from now until September 17.

The team said correspondence will be considered and evaluated as part of the application process and all submitted content will be treated in confidence.

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