A FORMER fire station is set to be demolished to make way for affordable homes.

Durham Fire Brigade’s Fencehouses station, at Woodstone House, Woodstone Village, has been a depot since it was shut several years ago.

Social housing provider Home Group is seeking planning permission from Durham County Council for a £1.9m development.

It will feature 11 two-bedroom and seven three-bedroom homes for local people on the housing waiting list.

Today (Wednesday May 29) a consultation event will be held in Fencehouses Community Centre from 4pm to 7pm when people can view the plans.

Project manager Emma Richardson said: “We’ve owned the former fire stations for a number of years and used it as a depot, but now it’s surplus to requirements.

“As a social housing provider we’re constantly looking for areas of land we can utilise to provide high quality homes for local people on social housing waiting lists.

“It makes sense for us to use land that we already own.”

Ms Richardson said: “It is really important to us to hear views from as many people as possible before we go ahead and build these new homes.”