PLANS have been submitted to extend Stanhope Fire Station to create a new gym and improved locker and changing facilities.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service hopes to demolish a one-storey storage facility to make way for the new extension, which will match the height of the existing two-storey section of the building.

The extension will increase the internal floor space of the fire station from 230m² to 320m.²

The station sits within Stanhope Conservation Area, although the building itself is not listed.

In a document submitted with the application, the applicant’s agent stated: “The proposals have been carefully developed to ensure that the development is considerate to its surroundings.

“The proposals are sympathetic to both the existing building onsite and the surrounding buildings.”

A fire station has been located on Front Street since the1940s when it operated out of a prefabricated unit. In 1966, this was replaced with a permanent structure, and in 1969 a drill tower was built to the rear of the site and the training yard was extended.

Since then, it has remained in its current form, aside from a small refurbishment in 1999 when uPVC windows were added.

The public can comment on the application at durham.gov.uk until Monday, June 5.