Unanimous approval for new fire station near Boston, despite petition against proposed location
A new on-call fire station will be built in a village near Boston, despite more than 100 people signing a petition against the plans.
The plans for the new facility in Leverton went before Lincolnshire County Council’s Planning and Regulation Committee on Monday (February 10).
It will replace the village’s current on-call station, built in 1939, located in Main Road.
The new station will be built further along Main Road towards Skegness, past Jenkins’ Lane, on a plot currently left as grass/scrubland.
The application – which was submitted by Lincolnshire County Council – attracted opposition from residents, with 121 signing a petition against the plans.
Their concerns included highway safety and noise and light nuisance.
Villagers, they said, were not opposed to a new fire station, just the proposed location.
On Monday, councillors were shocked to hear so much opposition to the plans.
Coun Tom Ashton, a Conservative councillor, said: “I’m deeply saddened by this petition – it’s a sign of the country we’ve become that people are against a fire station.
“I hope those 121 people never had to rely on it to come to their aid.”
The station will operate a few hours each week and will allow recruits to carry out training there rather than in Boston or Skegness.
Coun Nigel Pepper, also a Conservative, who has visited every Lincolnshire fire station during his time on the authority, said: “Leverton station was the very worst even 10 years ago.
“It is very poor, cramped, and 90-years-old,” he said.
“I think the public are imagining the new station will be bigger and busier than it will be. Personally, I can’t think of a better location.”
Station manager Bill Dziadkiewicz told the committee the current fire station was ‘no longer fit for purpose, small, inefficient and outdated’.
Councillors were told the current station lacks room for training, welfare or decontamination, meaning staff regularly have to travel to bigger stations in Boston or Skegness.
Coun Paula Ashleigh-Morris, also a Conservative, said: “The people of Leverton should be glad of this facility if their house catches fire – if firefighters have to come from Boston, it will be ashes.
“It’s amazing to have this in a rural area.”
The application was approved unanimously.