A new blue-light era in Portsmouth begins with the opening of the new Cosham Fire and Police Station

The brand-new Cosham Fire and Police Station was formally opened today (4 September) with a ceremony at the impressive Portsmouth site.

Fire crews have moved 200 yards up the road from the previous site in Wayte Street, to the state-of-the-art, three-storey building shared with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary on Northern Road.

Firefighters moved into their new home in mid-August, giving them time to settle into the larger site and take advantage of the modern facilities on offer. Neighbourhood Policing Teams, Neighbourhood Enforcement Teams and new Missing Locate Teams will work from the new building alongside fire and rescue colleagues.

Chief Fire Officer Neil Odin and Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones welcomed the Lord Lieutenant Nigel Atkinson to open the building in a ceremony held earlier today (4 September).

Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, who unveiled the Constabulary’s plaque, said: “This new station puts policing in the heart of north Portsmouth and marks my commitment to investing in the safety of the community. It’s paramount for policing to be in the right place, and work from modern, fit-for-purpose buildings which help them do their job and serve the public.

“As Commissioner, I am on a mission to transform the police estate to support the Chief Constable’s operational model and deliver exceptional neighbourhood policing. The teams located here are ready to bring a blue-light visibility into the community and respond to calls from members of the public.”

Chief Constable Scott Chilton said: “I started my policing career in Cosham and being visible in the local community is close to my heart. Having policing teams in this new station is just part of bigger plans to increase policing visibility across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.”

HIWFRS Station Manager Lee Sheen said: “As Station Manager I have been in a truly privileged position to work with so many great teams to plan, build and deliver a brilliant new site for our Cosham crews, who have played a huge role in this journey as well. This new station will benefit the local community and our organisation for years to come. It is fantastic to see it finally open and our teams delivering their life-saving response from here.”

Chief Fire Officer Neil Odin said: “We have built a modern fire station designed for 21st century firefighters with excellent training facilities, bespoke decontamination areas and impressive sustainability features. At incidents our teams work closely with our police colleagues, and now, like many of our other stations, we will be able to work closely on a shared site in Cosham, building on those already strong relationships. We are committed to investing in and improving our estate across Hampshire and Isle of Wight, to ensure that our teams can continue to provide the best possible service to our communities.”

The new station will bring an increased police visibility to the north of Portsmouth. Officers and staff from the Eastern Police Investigation Centre on Airport Service Road and Medina House will be moving into the new building, placing police teams in the heart of the community ready to respond to calls from members of the public.

The building is fit-for-purpose with improved IT and conference facilities, aligning with the operational policing model and Police and Crime Commissioner’s vision for the police estate, ensuring that police are in the right space and right place to serve communities.

Following approval from the Fire Authority to go ahead with the project, the ground was broken back in February last year, before a topping out ceremony took place last October.

Chairman of the HIWFRA, Cllr Rhydian Vaughan MBE, said: “The official opening ceremony today marks a brand-new era for our Cosham firefighters, their police colleagues they work closely alongside, and the local community which they serve here in Portsmouth. The Service is at the forefront of modern firefighting with a focus on firefighter safety, blue-light collaboration, community engagement and sustainability. This is a momentous day for the organisation and it is an honour to be here representing the Fire Authority.”