No moves on fire station but court plans step on

NEARLY seven months after Warwick Fire Station was shut, the building is still lying empty and unused.

Despite it being almost two years since the announcement by Warwickshire County Council that the fire station would close, there is still no sign of new use for the site in Albert Street.

Warwick and Leamington are likely to be served by a new edge-of-town fire station.

It will follow the closure of the county fire HQ in Dale Street, Leamington, which has gone out to formal tender for redevelopment, which could include a Waitrose.

As regards the old fire station, a Warwickshire County Council spokeswoman said: “We are in discussions with Warwick District Council over the future of the site.

“The site will not be placed on the market until those discussions have been finalised.”

The old fire station is one of a number of buildings in the town owned by the county council which have been vacated as part of cost-cutting measures but left empty, most notably the old crown court in Northgate Street.

Recently the town houses on the opposite side of the street to the building were put on the market.

Warwick Mayor Trudy Offer was part of a number of people and groups who have expressed an interest in revamping the court house and who were invited by the county council to tour the building yesterday with a view to formulating plans for the building.

Cllr Offer (Con, Warwick South) hopes her group will get the go-ahead for community use, including a museum of justice, an idea first mooted several years ago.

She said: “We would like to see it as a living-history project, the law and its history and look to approach the police about having its museum there now that Leek Wootton is closed.

“It would be a living museum about the judicial system – interactive, not dry and dusty.

“It’s been empty for too long and is a fantastic building – a gem.”

Cllr Offer said the building could also be used for communal events, weddings and also be part of town festivals, as well as links with other Warwick visitor attractions.

“We would be looking to go into partnership with the county council.

“It would be a charity and as such would be able to apply for Heritage Lottery funding.

“It’s a fascinating building, particularly the dungeons and the old court rooms.

“There’s a lot of work to be done on the building but it would give my group time to build up.”