Old whisky plant served up as site for new fire station

A NEW fire station is set to be built on the site of a former whisky plant in Leith as part of an ongoing scheme to shake up fire services in the Lothians.

The single-storey building would be on the site of the former Whyte & Mackay bottling plant at Salamander Yards, under plans submitted to the city council.

The facility – which will include two engine bays, a forecourt for fire training and a gym – will be one of two new stations created by Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue as part of a plan to shake up services across the Lothians.

The station will also provide home fire safety risk assessments and the fitting of smoke alarms. It will replace existing services at McDonald Road, which fire chiefs have already agreed to phase out.

Another station will be built to replace services at Marionville, but no site has yet been earmarked for that.

The Salamander Yards station would provide cover for hundreds of new homes expected to be built in the area over the next few years, and also provide services for industrial and business sites across the north of Leith and the area's docklands.

The plans have been submitted on behalf of the fire brigade by property consultants Drivers Jonas.

In a statement, the company said: "The effect of large-scale housing developments in the north Leith area necessitates the need for the new fire station. This is the optimum scheme to create an efficient service which is modern, cost-effective and represents the best possible use of public funds."

The new plans have been welcomed by community leaders, who said the station would be a "much needed" addition.

Local councillor Gordon Munro said: "This is part of a wider plan that the fire brigade have for the Lothians and, from the look of these proposals, the new facility will fit in very well with this area.

"With the ongoing regeneration of the Leith docks and future developments that are planned in this area, it will definitely be something that is much needed.

"I am sure that residents, local businesses and industrial firms will benefit greatly from this new station.

"I am very pleased that the fire brigade has decided to maintain a presence in the Leith area and will continue to provide training facilities at this new site."

Fire chiefs had originally envisaged the new facility would be built either on the site of the current McDonald Road fire station or on the neighbouring Scottish Power offices.

The plans, revealed last March, also suggested the fire station would be downsized as the service planned to move all its training facilities to a new premises on the outskirts of the city.

However, after a lengthy consultation, the plans were scrapped in favour of Salamander Yards. The move is part of a proposal to modernise and improve fire services across the Lothians.

• Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue website
• Edinburgh City Council website