PLANS to build a £6million fire station in Basingstoke have gone on show to the public for the first time.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service plans to demolish most of its current building in West Ham Close, and construct another one on the same site with better facilities.

Last Thursday, the plans went on show at the West Ham base, and people popped in to take a look.

Basingstoke group manager Brian Rudman said: “It went really well. I think the general gist was that people are really happy with what we are doing, but the questions were around the practicalities and if it will affect access to West Ham Close.

“The building will be done in a sympathetic way, and we will make sure people have good access to their homes.”

The current station was built in the 1960s but fire chiefs say it is expensive to run and its facilities, particularly the living quarters for firefighters on duty, need modernising.

The new station will be built on the apron of the current station, bringing it closer to West Ham Roundabout, and warning lights for other motorists will be built nearby.

It will also be big enough to store the 10 specialist vehicles currently based at the station.

Fire crews will remain on site, and the office block and breathing apparatus training chamber will be used as a temporary station.

If the plans for the new station are approved, the new-look building is expected to take 16 months to construct, with an estimated completion date of the end of 2016.