Eye in the sky shows site of former Sunderland fire station as home builders prepare to move in

Fulwell Fire Station opened its doors in April 1942 – with part of it obliterated by a bomb a fortnight later – and closed in October 2015 as Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service moved its crews to a new base in Marley Park.

Now the building has been razed to the ground as developers look to move in and build apartments on the land, with footage of the site captured by Davy Robson using a drone as he marked the end of an era for the city.

It was sold off by the fire service for an undisclosed sum earlier this year, with its bosses putting the cash raised by the sale into its work to prevent blazes and save lives across its area.

It followed on from a decision late last year from Sunderland City Council to approve plans to use the plot for homes.

Cancara Ltd, which is based in Durham, has been given permission to build 28 flats in a four-storey building, with the scheme reduced from 28 following concerns voiced by nearby residents, who said they were worried about an increase in traffic on the main road.

Parking spaces were also included in the application, which sought approval to knock down the fire station structure.

The demolition team has been on-site for a number of weeks, starting at the rear of the building, with the land now levelled.

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Sunderland Echo website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app.

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here.

Thank you.