Plans unveiled for new £17 million fire station in Northampton village as new police station sought

The plans have been announced by Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service (NFRS), Northamptonshire Police, and the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, ahead of a planning application being submitted to West Northamptonshire Council (WNC).

According to the emergency services, the new fire station will be built on the site of the current Moulton fire station, in Moulton Way, and the adjacent former office complex, which has been vacant for several years.

A spokesman for NFRS said: “The new building at Moulton will be a stand-alone fire station. Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone has reversed a previous decision to make the building a joint Fire and Police hub, so that a visible, accessible police station can be maintained in the heart of the busy Eastern District of Northampton.”

Subject to planning permission, the new fire station at Moulton will offer flexible working spaces for firefighters and fire staff, a community room for use by local groups and residents, and a building more suited to modern firefighting than can be delivered at the current station, which opened in 1977.

New facilities will include a larger bay with more space for fire engines – which will comfortably house the 42-metre-high aerial turntable that was purchased in 2023 – as well as enhanced facilities for crews such as toilets, showers and changing rooms. There will be eight individual dormitories which will offer greater dignity and privacy.

The station layout has also been designed so that firefighters can remove uniform and store equipment that has been exposed to contaminants in a safe environment and meets best practice guidelines from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Chief Fire Officer Nikki Watson said: “This marks an incredible opportunity to give our crews modern, safe working conditions that they both need and deserve.

“Firefighting continues to evolve, and the design of this new station will allow us to strengthen our current levels of service and meet any future needs we identify. The addition of space for use by residents and groups means we can foster even better relationships with our local community and further enhance our prevention work.”

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone added: “This is an exciting new chapter for Northamptonshire and our Fire and Rescue Service, and an absolute commitment to keep a police station in the heart of one of Northampton’s busiest communities.

“The fire station at Moulton will deliver real benefits to the local community and ensure firefighters and fire staff are easily accessible at the heart of their patch. Importantly, it will also give crews the facilities they need to support the vital work they do to keep people safe.”

Furthermore, the existing Weston Favell police station building will be closed as it is no longer fit for modern policing purposes and a new location will be found for a police station in the area - either from the existing police estate or by buying or leasing a suitable building. The existing police station will remain open until a replacement is ready.

Weston Favell police station no longer meets the operational needs of Northamptonshire Police. It is now old and expensive to run and cannot be reconfigured to provide police officers and staff with the best environment to do their job.

Ms Stone said: “I want both services to work together and share buildings where it makes sense to do so, but I want the Eastern District to retain a visible policing presence – that’s central to my public safety plan. We are working at speed to review the wider estate to make sure it is fit for purpose and to find a way to close Weston Favell as quickly as possible.”

Ivan Balhatchet, Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police, added: “We will keep a police station in Weston Favell. I want us to increase our presence in the communities we serve and as we strengthen Neighbourhood Policing across the county, which means having buildings and officers that are visible and accessible to the public.

“It is important that, right across the county, we ensure our officers and staff are based in the right locations so we can focus on tackling crime and anti-social behaviour and keeping people safe.”

When work on the new fire station gets underway, the wholetime and on call fire crews will be relocated, but Chief Fire Officer Nikki Watson said that arrangements will be put in place to ensure that crews are based in the heart of Moulton to serve residents and the business community at the busiest times.