It’s cold, damp, outdated and leaks during wet weather. It also has a mouse problem. Plymouth’s Camels Head Fire Station has been deemed “end of life” which means it is in such a bad state it will probably need replacing with a new £15m facility.
The station, which serves a huge part of the city and also Devonport Dockyard, has had about £750,000 been spent on it in the past few years just to keep it in a usable state. Building work is currently underway to provide new cubicles so men and women firefighters can get changed in privacy.
But the station, built in the 1960s on what was once a rubbish tip, will need a long-term solution. This could mean a major overhaul or building a new station, at a cost of about £12m to £15m, either on the current site or somewhere else - preferably in t